The Fire Within
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: When an arsonist strikes in Storybrooke, can Emma and Regina figure out who it is before the whole town goes up in flames? Non-magic AU. Quick spark, then slow burn SwanQueen. SleepingWarrior.
1. Chapter 1

**Kailor: Hello, folks! My first stab at a Once Upon A Time fic. I am also currently writing a Harry Potter fic (Castle of Glass), so if any readers of that story see this, I'M COMING BACK, I PROMISE! But this has been lurking around my mind for a while now and I must write it. Hope you enjoy! I don't own Once or any of it's characters! But of course, you all know that. Because if I did, SwanQueen would be a thing already.**

October in Maine came with a harsh wind and an intense cold front. Snow coated nearly the entire state, forcing people to break out their thickest coats and scarves. Roads were almost completely empty by dark in most places, abandoned for the warmth of hearths and beds. People tried to stay home until later in the mornings when the sun rose to offer a little relief from the cold.

But one car wound its way up the coast through the thick fog of pre-dawn, braving the ice and wind. It would be hours before the car reached it's destination: the little town of Storybrooke. The driver rubbed her eyes, pressing a little harder on the gas pedal.

XXXXXXX

In Storybrooke, the town was slowly rising with the sun. Parents were bundling up their children to send them to school. The small diner on the corner of Main St. was opening, but other businesses remained locked up against the chill.

And a young boy with a mop of brown hair and green eyes was shouldering his backpack and shutting his bedroom door.

Henry hurried from his room, wrapping his favorite gray and red stripped scarf around his neck. He could hear his mother moving around downstairs, probably getting ready for work. He paused on the stairs to read the text he'd just gotten. Shooting back a fast reply, he hopped down the last few steps. The bottom floor was bright, the curtains pulled back to let in the dawn light. He passed through the living room and stepped into the kitchen.

The fridge door was open and he could hear things clinking inside it. "Mom, Roland is here to walk to school together."

A head of long brunette hair popped up over the door of the fridge and blue eyes filled with fake tears. "After all this time, you finally called me Mom!"

Henry laughed. "Aunt Ruby. I didn't think you'd be awake this early."

"That makes two of us," the brunette said, shutting the fridge and taking the jug of milk to the kitchen island. He tried not to laugh at her gingerbread man pajamas. "But your mother knocked over the coat rack when she came back from her run and woke me up with all her cursing. Emma! Henry's leaving!"

The bathroom door under the stairs opened, loosing a puff of steam and a tall blonde with the same green eyes as Henry. She was half dressed for work, in jeans, her favorite hiking boots, and a tight muscle shirt. She tossed her towel over her shoulder, smiling at him. "Morning, kid. Leaving us already?"

"Roland is waiting for me outside," he said, pulling on his shoes. Arms suddenly wrapped around him, squeezing the breath out of him. "Mom!"

"No, Henry. Don't go," she whined, pulling him close.

"Emma," Ruby said, sipping her milk with a mischievious glint in her eyes. "He really can't stay."

"But baby, it's cold outside," Emma sang without missing a beat.

"He's got to go away," Ruby returned.

"But baby, it's cold outside!"

"Mom!" Henry struggled to stay on his feet as his mother pulled him into an exaggerated ballroom dance.

"Been hoping that you'd drop in," Emma sang, spinning him.

"Mom! Roland is-"

"I'LL TAKE YOUR HANDS!" Emma sang over him. "THEY'RE JUST LIKE ICE!"

Ruby laughed as Henry fought to escape and Emma continued to sing over his protests. Finally, he managed to duck out from under her arms and pulled the door open. Emma caught him from behind, putting him in a headlock. "Mom! Stop!" he gasped, thrashing against her hold.

"'Cause baby, it's cold outsideeeeeee," Emma sang, dragging out the last note ridiculously. Then she spun Henry right out the door, laughing. "Morning, Roland!" she called to the tall brown haired boy standing in the driveway. He waved back, chuckling as a red-faced Henry rushed past him, not waiting for his friend.

Emma waited until the two boys were out of sight before closing the door. She strode to the kitchen island, nabbing Ruby's glass of milk. "He's so cute when he's embarrassed." She moved to the couch where her sheriff's office shirt and her gun belt were hung over the arm.

With a glare, Ruby made herself another glass and joined Emma at the couch. She curled into one corner, tucking her feet underneath her. "Busy day?"

Emma shrugged into her shirt, buttoning it up, then strapped on her belt. "Sort of. They're working on finishing up the construction on Mifflin Street. Mr. Spencer wants that huge deck of his done before the weekend's over. They're gonna have to work well into the night and most of tomorrow too. I told Leroy I'd be there to help. Plus, Billy got in the new locks for the cells at the station and I have to program them or some crap." There was a small click from the table beside the couch and a drawer slid out. Emma pulled her gun out, sliding it into the holster at her hip. "Then I still have to buy a gift for Mary Margaret's baby shower."

"Oh, what are you getting her?"

"I was thinking an 'At Home DNA test'." Emma gave a cheeky grin and raised her glass to her lips.

"Emma Swan, don't you dare!" Ruby gasped, one hand fluttering to her chest. "It would be so trashy if we showed up with the same gift!"

Emma choked on her milk, leaning forward quickly to keep it from spilling on her shirt. Her roommate just laughed. Once Emma managed to clear her throat, she grabbed her wallet and keys from the table, sticking them in her pockets. Then she picked up the long, leather boot lace that had sat beside her wallet, and wound it around her wrist until the ends met, then tied it securely. Ruby eyed the boot lace, but said nothing about it.

With quick goodbyes, Emma pulled on her red leather jacket and let herself out. She enjoyed the cold wind stinging her face as she hurried to her beat-up yellow bug and slipped into the driver's seat. Her key was in the ignition, ready to turn it over, when something hit her passenger door, making her jump.

A large, furry set of ears twitched outside the window and Emma let out the breath she'd been holding. She reached over and pushed the side door open. The silvery gray wolf leapt into the passenger seat, settling neatly. One pitch black eye and one dark red one peered at her.

"You scared the hell out of me, Wolf. Where have you been all night? You know Graham would never forgive me if you were off eating children or something." Emma quickly reached around the beast to close the door. He just blinked at her. His long, pink tongue darted out, licking his muzzle. She narrowed her eyes at her furry companion. "You weren't out eating children, were you?"

The wolf just cocked its head to the side in response and she shook her head, turning on the car.

Traffic was minimal. In a town as small as Storybrooke, most kids lived walking distance from school. Emma drove past a few groups of walkers as she made her way to the sheriff station. She spent about an hour there, finishing up paperwork and making phone calls while Wolf padded around the office, watching her. Then they hopped back in her car and headed for Mifflin Street.

She spotted Leroy's truck on the curb outside 107. The yellow bug purred up behind it and she parked. She dug quickly through the pile of stuff in the backseat, pulling out a warm beanie, a thick pair of work gloves, and a heavy tool belt. She switched it for her gun belt and pulled the beanie on, then hopped out of the car, waving to Leroy and the other men. She waited for Wolf to hop down with her and closed the door.

XXXXXXX

The black Mercedes finally passed the sign that read, "Welcome to Storybrooke" and the woman driving let herself sigh in relief. It had been a very long, overnight drive. She pulled the visor down and checked her reflection in the mirror, hoping she didn't look as tired as she felt. Her shoulder-length, black hair was perfectly smooth, but her dark brown eyes had slight bags under them. With a grimace, she shoved the visor back up.

The trees that lined the road ended a little later and she slowed down, glancing around at the shops opening on either side of her car. She hadn't been to Storybrooke since she was a small child, but nothing had changed. Fighting the overwhelming sense of deja vu, she looked for Mifflin Street.

Her phone rang from the cup holder she'd dropped it in. She grabbed it, swiping to answer when she saw who was calling. "Hello, Mother."

"Regina, darling!" Cora Mills' voice was far too enthusiastic for this early in the day. "Where are you? Your father seems to think you should have been here an hour ago."

"I was supposed to be," Regina said, sighing. "There was an accident a few towns back. Took a while to get around it. But I'm in Storybrooke."

"That's wonderful! Do hurry along, dear. Your father refuses to have breakfast without you."

Regina smiled at that. "I see Mifflin now. I'll be there in just a few minutes." She turned onto Mifflin Street, her smile fading as she saw a small line of cars ahead. She couldn't see around the large van in front of her, but she could see men moving from the large house on her left to the road. "What's going on? There's something blocking the road."

There was a rustling sound on the phone and then Cora said, "Oh, yes. They're doing construction next door. A truck is dropping off the larger pieces of lumber. You'll have to wait until they finish unloading."

Regina growled, throwing her car into park. Just her luck. Half a block away and she gets stuck in traffic. She didn't think a town this small knew what traffic was. Her mother began to chat about the things she'd done around the house to get ready for her arrival and Regina tuned her out, watching the workers bringing the materials to the front yard of 107.

A short man in a flannel jacket was yelling and pointing where he wanted things. He looked like he hated mornings as much as Regina did. He was the only one of the group that hadn't removed his coat. Apparently the work was keeping the cold from the others, but she was on the short man's side: coats and anger were what made mornings morning.

A long line of men filed into sight, carrying a long, heavy wooden beam. She blinked in surprise as she realized the third one in line was definitely _not _a man.

The woman's face was on the other side of the beam, but she could see the tip of a beanie above it and long, blonde curls below. Her body was long and thin, clad in a muscle shirt, tight jeans, and high top brown boots. A tool belt hung around her waist, swinging as she walked.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the rips in the muscle shirt and the streak of dirt on the back of one jean-clad thigh. Back in her offices in New York, she'd rarely even seen a woman in jeans, much less doing manual labor and wearing tool belts.

The line placed the beam on a prepared row of sawhorses and returned to the road. Regina couldn't catch the woman's face because she was turned, talking to the short man directing them. He waved his hand at her and gave a smile that looked painful on his face, but genuine. The woman's head fell back, like she was laughing, and she continued towards the road. Regina returned to her conversation.

"Are they nearly finished up there? I'm about to just park in some random driveway and walk! I've been in this car for eight hours now!"

"Yes, darling. They're unloading the last bit now."

The line of men returned with another long beam. Unconciously, her eyes swept the line for the woman. She was missing.

A few seconds later she appeared, a sledge hammer slung over her shoulders. She handed the hammer off to one of the men and headed for the corner of the house, stepping around it, and was gone. Regina never saw her face.

The car in front of her began to move and she quickly shifted gears, muttering, "Finally."

She parked in the garage of 108 and crawled out of the car, stretching. It felt like she hadn't had blood flow in her legs in a month. She grabbed her purse and cell phone before she heard the door to the kitchen swing open.

"Darling!" Cora called, rushing to her side and giving her a peck on the cheek. Her dark brown hair was done up in an intricate bun and her eyes, brown as Regina's, had a touch of make-up around them. She looked ready to go out to dinner at any moment and it wasn't even noon yet.

"Hello, Mother," Regina returned the peck on the cheek.

"Do you need help with your bags?"

"No, I'll get them later. There's too much stuff for now."

Cora smiled. "Well, that happens when you move somewhere new. I'm so glad you decided to do this. Your father is thrilled."

Regina followed the older woman into the kitchen, setting her purse down on the counter. "Where is Daddy?"

Her mother waved a hand towards the other room. "Oh, he's in the living room, resting. You know how his leg gets in cold weather." She turned and hurried down the hall, Regina right behind her.

"Daddy!" Regina cried when she saw his wild, white hair sticking up over the couch back.

Henry Mills turned, smiling. "Regina! My little _princesa_." His dark blue eyes shone and he spread his arms. She gladly threw herself into them. "How was the drive?"

"Long," she huffed, kicking off her heels. "But I'm here. My assistant is finishing up my paperwork for the week. And then, that's it. I'm retired."

Behind her, Cora snorted. "I wish I was able to retire at a young age. But it's just like my little girl to go and get rich and retire before her poor mother can."

"Well, Storybrooke needs a mayor," Regina laughed. "And you've been mayor since before I was born. I don't know what would happen if you quit."

"Death. Destruction. Looting. Riots in the streets," Cora dramatically sighed.

"Is it even legal to be mayor as long as you have?"

"I don't think so. But no one has showed up to arrest me yet."

Regina spent the rest of the day blissfully chatting with her father and laughing at her mother's running commentary on being mayor of a small town.

XXXXXXX

Emma left 107 for a few hours around six. She stopped by the station so Billy, the mechanic, could put in the new cell locks. He installed them while she watched over his shoulder, completely clueless as he fiddled with gears and screws. "They work with those keys on the desk or with a code that you need to program in," Billy explained. "But now, they automatically lock when you shut them. I guess the mayor knows how forgetful you are, Sheriff." He grinned.

"Jeez, you let one drunk teenager escape and you never hear the end of it. He didn't even make it out of the station," Emma pouted.

When Billy left, she attempted to program her chosen code into the locks. The manual was obviously written in Mandarin or some equally difficult language, because she couldn't understand a thing it was saying. Finally, she gave up and headed home.

Ruby was at work, but Henry was there, doing his homework at the kitchen table.

"Hey, kid," she said. "Shouldn't you be hanging out with a girlfriend or selling drugs downtown? Isn't that what kids do these days?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Nah," he replied. "Finished up selling my stash earlier. Made a few hundred."

"That's my boy."

"Yeah, and when I turn twelve in a couple months I'm gonna spring for a huge fur coat and pimp hat."

"Gotta look the part," she said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. "Dress for the job you want and all that."

Henry laughed, shaking his head at the ridiculous conversation. He watched his mother moving around, making a sandwich and wrapping it up. "Are you leaving again?"

The fridge door squeaked as she opened it. "Yeah, Leroy's still got a lot to do on that deck. We're pulling an all-nighter to try and get it done. Hopefully there will only be a little bit left to do tomorrow." She paused. "Unless you want me to stay home. I can tell him I can't go."

"No, no. It's okay, Mom. I was just wondering. Aunt Ruby will be off around ten, she said."

"Okay," Emma said, not sounding convinced. Reaching across the table, she squeezed his hand. "But you know you can ask me to stay. You come before anything else, kid."

He grinned, his eyes, so like her own, crinkling up with his nose. "I know, Mom."

"BUT," she said. "If you do need me or just want me to come home, you know where I am and you can call me. If I don't answer, call Leroy."

"I know, Mom."

"Or you can call-"

"I've got it, Mom!" he laughed. "I have all the phone numbers of the people that will be around you."

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands, smiling. "I'll be home before you leave for school. Love you, kid."

"Love you too, Mom."

XXXXXXX

Regina stepped out of the shower, glorying in the feeling of being freshly cleaned after her long drive from New York. A thick gray robe hung from the bathroom door and she pulled it on over her pajamas, tying it tightly.

Her old bedroom had been a shock. She hadn't lived in Storybrooke since she was eleven and she'd gone off to boarding school. But the bedroom was almost exactly the same as when she left. The shelves were still lined with pictures of her younger self and old textbooks. Her desk was still drawn on, the second drawer on the left still missing a handle. The window seat still looked as comfortable as it had been all those rainy days of her childhood when she wasn't allowed out to play.

She was, however, very glad that Cora had changed the bed. Instead of the twin sized bed she'd had, with horses decorating the blankets, she had a queen size with a plush gray comforter and silken sheets.

Now that she was living here again, she would have to redecorate so that it looked like an adult slept here.

Her feet sank happily into the soft carpet as she crossed to the window seat, sitting daintily on the cushions and running her hand over the window sill. After a moment of peaceful reminiscing, she reached up and unlocked the window, pushing it open. The hustle and bustle of New York was gone, replaced by crickets chirping, rustling trees, and the occasional croak of a frog. It felt good to just relax and enjoy the quiet.

Then she heard a sharp rasping noise. It continued, fluctuating faster and slower, louder and softer. She stood to peer out the window, looking down at the front lawn of 107.

The large group of men from earlier in the day were gone. The short man in the coat was still there, talking to another man over a large blueprint of what they were building. There were only five other men still working on the site, moving around in the light of a dozen or so bright spotlights. But what had gotten Regina's attention was the sound of sandpaper moving along one of the long beams she'd seen being brought in. And it was the blonde in the beanie that was working on it.

She was seated on a stool, wearing work gloves and smoothing a swatch of sandpaper over the beam methodically. A spotlight sat on the beam, pointed at the area the woman was working on. Even from the second floor, Regina could see the light sheen of sweat reflecting on toned arms, despite the chilly night air. One of her eyebrows rose of its own accord and she backed away from the window, shutting it. She glanced at the bedside clock, noting it was nearly ten thirty.

Downstairs, she found her parents still sitting in the living room.

"Darling, come and sit with us! We were just about to watch a movie."

Regina moved to sit beside her father, but paused when she saw her mother's phone light up on the coffee table. She picked it up, frowning at the name on the screen. "Uh, Mother, you have a text from Daddy."

Cora's eyebrows rose and Henry blinked at the device in his daughter's hand. Cora took the phone, sliding to open the message. "Oh, no dear. Henry isn't your father in my phone. He's 'husband'. This Henry is Sheriff Swan's son. He works part-time at Town Hall for me." She read the message quickly, her lips turning down. "Oh dear."

"What is it?"

"It seems Deputy Nolan is at Sheriff Swan's house and needs to speak with her."

"Her?" Regina was surprised. "Your sheriff is a woman?"

Cora nodded, rising. "Yes. And she's next door working on Albert Spencer's new deck. Henry said she isn't answering her phone."

"Oh," Regina said before she could think about it. "The blonde?"

Her mother's smile was a little too knowing for her liking. "Oh, so you've already noticed her?"

She fought the flush that was working its way up her neck. When she'd first come out to her mother, Cora had been a little disappointed. But after a while she changed her mind for unknown reasons and seemed to nominate herself as Regina's personal love-life cheerleader. Any time Regina showed interest in a woman, Cora was hearing wedding bells and knitting 'Hers' and 'Hers' pillows.

"Well, that's perfect. Could you be a dear and go next door to let her know she's needed at home?" Cora dropped back into the couch. "I'm far too tired for all that walking."

The temptation to call her mother's bullshit was strong, but Regina glanced at the phone again. The woman's son was trying to reach her. That was more important than her mother's not-so-subtle attempts to get her to interact with people. She tightened her robe and made her way to the kitchen where she'd hung her jacket earlier on. The porch was dark as she let herself out, buttoning up her coat.

The rasping of sandpaper grew louder as she followed the hedges around the side of the house to 107. Her footsteps slowed as she rounded the corner and the blonde came into view.

Up close, she was thinner than Regina had thought, only subtly curved at the hips. Her left shoulder blade had a few lines of script tattooed across it. Her golden hair was pulled in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck and it waved down to her waist. The muscles in her arms, highlighted by the spotlight, made Regina's mouth feel a little dry. But she shook her head, stopping a few feet behind the woman.

"Excuse me?" she called over the scratching of the sandpaper.

The blonde turned at the sound of her voice. When she saw Regina, she stood quickly, one hand darting up to pull off her beanie and the other running through her hair. Then both met in front of her, holding the beanie. It was a move she'd seen many times in her life, because it was what her father did when he entered a house or when he spoke to a woman. Regina was actually quite charmed by the gesture. And she was completely unprepared for the brilliantly green eyes that the woman blinked at her.

"I'm Regina Mills," Regina said quickly, then stopped. She had nearly forgotten what she came over for and now she was unsure of how to continue.

"Emma Swan," the woman said. She pulled off one of her gloves, dusted her hand on her jeans, and extended it with a smile.

Regina shook the hand, acutely aware of how much rougher the sheriff's hands were than her own.

"You're Cora and Henry's daughter, right?" Emma continued. "The one from New York?"

The brunette blinked. "Ah, yes. That's me." Really? That was all she could think to say?

The sheriff smiled a crooked smile. "I'm sorry, Miss Mills. But everyone knows everyone in Storybrooke and I'm close friends with your parents." She gestured to Regina. "How can I help you?"

Oh, right. Reason for coming over. "Oh, your son. Henry?"

Emma's brows furrowed. "Yes?"

Regina drew herself up, remembering what Cora had told her to relay. "He texted my mother. He said you weren't answering your phone and a deputy is at your house looking for you."

The woman turned quickly to the stool she'd been sitting on and Regina saw a red leather jacket laid over it. The sheriff dug through the pockets and pulled out her phone, frowning at the missed calls and texts. "I never heard it go off." She snatched up the jacket, starting towards the street. A few steps later she stopped, hurrying back to Regina. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking Regina's hand again. "That was rude, just running off. Thank you for telling me. I have to go, but-"

"I understand," Regina waved her away. "Go to your son."

"Thank you again," Emma said. "And welcome to Storybrooke." She flashed a quick grin and hurried away, calling to the short man running the build.

And the blonde was suddenly in an atrocious yellow volkswagon, driving away. And Regina was still standing on her new neighbor's lawn in the middle of the night, a little bemused and wondering just where all of her well-trained speech skills had gone the second green eyes had blinked at her.

XXXXXXX

The yellow bug skidded to a halt in the driveway and Emma was out of it and running as soon as the engine turned off. She threw the door open, glancing around wildly. When she saw Henry sitting at the kitchen island, eyes wide at her sudden entrance, she finally let herself breathe normally. She crossed the room and pulled him into her arms, squeezing until he grunted.

"Mom," he whined. "Why are you crushing me?"

"Because I was scared!" She refused to let him go. "Something's obviously happening and I wasn't here for you. And I should have been. And you better not ever sell drugs. And I'm getting a louder phone first thing in the morning. And-"

"Emma," someone said.

Only then did she realize Ruby was home, still dressed in her work clothes, and her deputy, David Nolan, was standing by the stairs, arms crossed over his broad chest. His blue eyes were glinting happily at the show of affection between mother and son, but his strong jaw was set in a stoic line and he stepped forward quickly when he got her attention. "Emma," he repeated. "There's been a fire."


	2. Chapter 2

**Kailor: Well thank you all so much. The reviews are very appreciated! Please enjoy this next installment!**

"Where?" she said, loosening her grip on Henry but not letting go. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Jefferson's house."

The answer made her wince. Jefferson lived out in the woods with his young daughter, Grace. That was probably the worst possible place to have a fire, surrounded by woods and with no one living close by. But David continued quickly. "No one was hurt though. Grace was over at a friend's and Jefferson was in town shopping. But the fire was pretty big. It took a nice chunk of the ground floor. It won't be safe for them to stay there until it's fixed." He sighed. "It's really lucky we even found the fire before the house was completely gone. Archie called me because Pongo ran off again and the dog led us straight to the fire."

Emma groaned, biting her lip. "Alright, set them up at Granny's bed and breakfast. We'll have to investigate anyways to see what caused it. Crap, I'll have to call someone in from the city."

"We set up tarps all around the burnt walls so that nothing could disturb the site. It wasn't until after that I got a chance to call you. But I figured you'd want to know about this as soon as possible."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You were right. Thanks, David. Not much else we can do tonight. Tomorrow we'll go up and see if there's anything we can figure out for ourselves and I'll call the city."

David nodded, standing up straight. "I'll head home then after I set up Jefferson and Grace. Mary Margaret is going to be freaking out."

Emma walked him out, wished him goodnight, then hurried back to wrap Henry in her arms again.

"Mom!" he groaned, but hugged her back.

"Complain later. You're sleeping with me tonight."

Ruby suddenly joined the hug, squeezing both of the Swans. "So am I!"

Henry kicked his stool away, slithering down to the floor and rolling away, leaving Emma and Ruby hugging each other. Before they could latch onto him again, he asked, "Did Leroy or Mrs. Mills get hold of you? I texted both of them."

Pushing her roommate away with a playful fist, Emma said, "Mrs. Mills, sort of."

Her son's eyebrows rose. "Sort of?"

"Well, her daughter came to tell me about your message."

Now Ruby was interested. "Oh, her daughter arrived? Mr. Mills was telling me she was moving here a few days ago. He was so happy." She pulled up Henry's abandoned stool, sitting at the island.

Emma nodded, thinking of the gorgeous woman that she had met. "She seemed nice."

Henry suddenly jumped to his feet. "Oh, man! I forgot I have work tomorrow! I have to get some sleep! Later!" He dashed up the stairs, his feet thumping loudly against the hardwood.

"I was serious about you sleeping with me!" Emma called after him. She heard his bedroom door slam and sighed.

"Calm down, Emma. Henry's fine." Ruby stretched herself across the island, crossing her arms and propping her chin on them. "You came flying in here like a tornado. I thought we were all about to be sucked off to Oz."

Emma just rolled her eyes, stripping off her jacket and boots. After her adrenaline spike and the over the speed limit drive there, she was exhausted. "How was work?" she asked, changing the subject.

The brunette shrugged. "The usual. Whale was there, hitting on me."

"Why don't you just lie and tell him you already like someone else?" When Ruby didn't immediately respond, Emma glanced at her roommate. The younger woman was staring at the wall, her cheeks tinged pink.

Ruby knew there was no point in lying to her roommate. Emma always seemed to know when people were lying.

The blonde grabbed the other stool, pulling it up close enough that she could stare at her friend's face. "So there IS someone?"

"No, shut up." Ruby put her hand on Emma's face, pushing her away. She squealed when Emma licked her palm and jerked her hand away.

"Ruby Lucas, who is it? Tell me now or I will creep into your room every night and sing 'I'm King Henry the VIII, I Am' until you rot of old age!"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Tell me!"

"No! Ah, get off! Rape!"

"TELL ME!"

The two tumbled to the floor, wrestling for control. Ruby got a lucky twist off and ended up on top, wrapping Emma in a headlock. The blonde rolled forward, flipping Ruby over and pinning her to the floor. "Ah ha!" she cheered triumphantly.

But Ruby grabbed a lock of blonde hair and pulled, forcing Emma to release her. They fell apart, panting and laughing.

"You're insane," Ruby huffed, straightening her shirt as best she could.

Emma just grinned. "You love it."

"So what about you?" Ruby stood and offered Emma a hand up. "Since we're on the subject and I'm very obviously switching gears so you'll leave me alone, you into anyone?"

The blonde just waved her off. "Nah. Too much work."

"Come on, Em," Ruby slugged her shoulder. "You need love. Get out there and get it!"

Emma sighed, shrugging. "Easier said than done. It's hard when you're-"

"Gay?"

"A single mom," Emma corrected her, narrowing her eyes at the brunette. "Plus, people are intimidated by me because I'm-"

"Gay?"

"Sheriff," Emma said as if Ruby hadn't spoken. "And it's my birthday this month and I'm already-"

"Gay?"

"Stop that!"

"Then quit giving me openings!"

For a moment, neither spoke. Then, "Gay," they chorused and dissolved into laughter.

When Emma caught her breath, she headed for the stairs. "I'm going to bed. I can't even handle you right now. I am constantly amazed by your ability to make me feel better while also exhausting me, Rubes. And I will find out who you like."

"Dream on, Sheriff," Ruby called after her.

At the top of the stairs, Emma turned right and followed the hallway all the way to the end. She pushed open her bedroom door and flipped on the light. Henry was curled up in her bed, already fast asleep. She stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a smile playing on her lips. Though he was nearly a teenager now, he looked so young in his stripped pajamas and her chest swelled with warmth. Her boy, her son.

She hurried into the bathroom and took a quick shower, then slipped on her sleep shorts and tank top and returned to the bedroom. She turned off the light and slipped under the covers behind Henry, scooting until she could wrap around him. When he was a baby, she had tucked him into her chest and rested her head on top of his. Now, as she placed her chin on his mop of wild brown hair, and curled her body around his, she found his legs bent around her knees and his feet rested on top of her own. The strangest urge to cry hit her and she blinked rapidly, forcing them back. Henry would think she really was insane if he woke up and found her crying over how tall he'd gotten. So she settled down to sleep, resting one hand on Henry's back so she could play with his hair. The silken locks between her fingers had her quickly drifting off to sleep.

XXXXXXX

Henry woke with a weight over his torso, pressing him into the bed. He cracked one eye open, immediately closing it against the bright dawn light pouring into the room. His eyes fluttered open a few more times until finally he could see clearly. He turned his head, trying to see over his shoulder. "Mom?" he croaked.

Suddenly, the weight lifted off of him and so did the blanket. It rose into the air, revealing Snoopy sleep shorts and long legs. The sides of the blanket lifted like wings. "I am the night!" the blanket proclaimed in a horrible squeaky voice.

"Oh, no, Mom don't-"

And the blanket monster leapt onto him, tickling him and chanting, "I am the night! I am the night!" in the same creepy voice.

"Mom!" he yelled through his laughter. "Stop!"

The door suddenly burst open and another blanket monster hopped into the room, hollered a battle cry, and dove on top of them. For nearly twenty minutes, Henry fought to free himself, laughing so hard he was crying. Finally, he managed to pull himself out of the bed and stumbled to his feet. He raced down the hall, slamming his door so he couldn't be followed.

The first blanket flipped back, revealing Emma's wild blonde hair. "Jeez. Kid's no fun sometimes."

Ruby emerged from the second blanket, grinning. "He'll thank us for this one day."

The two split, still laughing, to get ready for the day.

Emma pulled on her favorite baggy, gray sweatpants. After a little deliberation, she settled on a plain blue tanktop over her running bra. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her Ipod and it's armband case. She strapped it on as she hopped down the stairs. Henry was already there, eating a bowl of cereal. Wolf was stretched out on the floor at the boy's feet, sleeping.

Wiggling her fingers at him, Emma hissed, "I am the night!"

Henry pointed his spoon at her like a sword, leaving the threat unspoken.

She grabbed her messenger bag from by the door and opened the pantry, shoving a handful of nutrition bars into her bag. Then, while Henry wasn't looking, she dumped in two packets of pop tarts. "Do you need a ride to work?" she asked, slinging the bag across her chest.

Henry shook his head, swallowing before he spoke. "No. Mrs. Mills is going to pick me up. She had to bring Mr. Mills for a doctor's appointment anyways so she said she doesn't mind."

"That's cool of her," Emma said, hugging him. "Tell her hey from me."

"Well, we have to pass the park to get to Town Hall anyways. I'll just make her honk at you and you can wave."

Emma glanced down at Wolf, who had lifted his head from the floor. "You coming with me, buddy? When did you even get home?"

"He was coming through the dog door when I got downstairs." Henry glanced at the flap at the bottom of the back door. "I think we need a bigger dog door though."

She agreed with a snort. "Alright, see you later, kid. Have a good day. And my phone is on super loud so if you need me-"

"I'll call you. Or someone near you. Or send the bat signal into the sky. Got it."

"Smart ass," Emma chuckled fondly, ruffling his hair. He grumbled as she left, but couldn't stop his smile.

XXXXXXX

Regina settled deeper into her seat as her mother drove. She had wanted to stay at the hospital with her father until his tests were all done, but he'd insisted she go with Cora. So she listened to her mother talk about the places they passed, smiling idly at Cora's tour guide voice.

When the woman turned onto Hill Street and stopped in front of a small, two-story house, she blinked in surprise. "Where are we?"

"Sheriff Swan's house. I'm picking up Henry for work today." Cora texted a quick message. She held the phone up to Regina, grinning. "Isn't technology great?"

Regina rolled her eyes at her mother's enthusiasm.

A moment later, the door to the house opened and a boy dashed out, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. He noticed Regina in the passenger seat and changed direction, hopping into the backseat. "Morning, Mrs. Mills!"

"Morning, Henry," Cora replied sweetly, turning in her seat to peer at him. "This is my daughter, Regina."

Regina turned as well, giving the boy a smile. Her breathing caught just for a moment when she found Emma Swan's eyes staring back at her from the young face.

"Henry," he said, offering his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Henry." She shook his hand, pleased to find his grip firm and confident. He didn't look much older than eleven, but he seemed quite mature.

Cora pulled out of the driveway and drove back towards Main Street. Regina kept her gaze on Henry. She'd always loved kids. "What do you do at Town Hall?" she asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"Anything they need me to do. Mrs. Mills or Aurora usually have me grab them lunch, carry messages from office to office, and I answer the phone sometimes when it's a local call." Though these seemed like very mundane things, and barely like a job at all, Henry was quite enthusiastic about it. She smiled at his obvious enjoyment and asked him more questions, smiling wider at each answer.

"Oh! Mrs. Mills!" Henry suddenly sat up straighter in his seat. "Can we pull in here for just a second? My mom wanted to tell you hey."

"Sure, dear." Cora pulled the car over, rolling the window down.

The chilly air pressed into the car and Regina leaned around her mother to look out at the gorgeous little park in the center of town. It surrounded a small lake and had a running track around the perimeter. A small playground wasn't far from their car. Little children, bundled up against the cold, were racing around it and climbing it, their laughter loud in the morning hush. The place was simple, but Regina loved it. She vaguely recalled that it hadn't been there when she was a child.

"There she is!" Henry crowed, rolling his window down as well.

Regina turned to where Henry was pointing.

On the other side of the lake was Emma. Her long legs were eating up the distance at a startling speed. Regina had seen people run every morning in New York, but they would jog or run for short periods, then slow down. This woman sprinted, like she was trying to catch something. Her Ipod was strapped to her arm, the ear buds secure in her ears. Her breath puffed off in white fog, left behind as she raced along the path.

When Emma rounded the lake, Henry began to yell, waving his arms out the window. For a moment, she showed no signs of hearing him, then her green eyes shifted to the car and she slowed, actually having to lean back to halt her forward momentum. She jogged over to the waiting vehicle. "Hey, Henry. Cora," she puffed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She pulled her earbuds free, leaning down into the window. "Miss Mills." She grinned over Cora at Regina.

The brunette hated that her brain refused to come with a snappy reply. She had always prided herself on her sass. And now she couldn't even form the words, "Good morning."

"Your son said you wanted to say hey," Cora explained, happily patting the forearm that Emma leaned on the window frame.

The woman's tanktop shifted a bit and Regina saw a flash of a small tattoo just above her heart, then it was covered again.

"Actually, I told him to tell you hey for me, but this works." Emma laughed. "But I was going to call you once I finished here. Have you heard about Jefferson's house yet?"

"We saw Jefferson this morning at Granny's when we stopped to grab breakfast. How bad is it?" Cora's face became serious.

"I haven't really seen it yet. David saw it last night. But I called my friend in the city a little while ago and he said he'll be out here by this afternoon. Then we'll head up there to check it out." Emma's soft pants had calmed to an almost steady rate. "Would you care to join us, Madam Mayor?"

Cora thought about it for a moment, tapping her lip with one well-manicured nail. "I would, but I have so much paperwork to get through today. We have a budget meeting coming up, you know. However!" she said, as if she'd just had an epiphany. "My daughter can go with you! Right, Regina?"

Regina blinked, her mouth opening and closing quickly, but no sound coming out. "Me?" she finally said. "I don't know anything about fires."

"You don't have to," Cora said. "You can just go as my representative and take pictures. Emma will handle everything, won't you, dear?"

"Of course," Emma said, nodding.

"Well, I-I guess I could-"

"Wonderful!" Cora clapped her hands together. "It's settled. You'll stop by my house before you head up there and pick up Regina?"

"Yes, ma'am." Emma's eyes twinkled over at the brunette, who was still mouthing wordlessly.

"Can I come?" Henry piped up.

"No," Emma and Regina said at the same time.

Emma's eyebrows rose, her lips quirking up on one side. Regina ignored her.

"That's not something you need to see, Henry," she told him, softening her voice. She had just met the boy. She didn't want to run him off.

But Henry didn't seem phased by her refusal. In fact, he grinned. "I figured. Can't blame a kid for asking."

Emma reached through the back window and mussed his hair, grinning at Regina. "Settled then. I'll see you this afternoon. Should be around five. It's a date," she chuckled.

"If this is your idea of a date, I don't place much stock in your tastes, Miss Swan," Regina quipped. She grinned, happy to find her sass back in action. It wasn't her best line, but at least she wasn't just mouthing at the green-eyed sheriff.

Emma's crooked smile grew wider. She patted the car door and stepped away, replacing her earbuds. With a wave, she was off again for another lap of the lake.

Cora turned twinkling eyes on her daughter. Regina just glared at her, refusing to let herself return the woman's smile.

XXXXXXX

Cora settled behind her desk, looking at the boy who flopped into the seat across from her.

"Where's Regina?" he asked.

"She's down the hall. I suggested to Aurora that she could use a nice tour of Town Hall," she said, grinning. "So, what do you think?"

Henry thought about it a moment, crossing his arms. His fingers tugged at the frayed edges of his old scarf. "I like her. Mom said she seemed nice last night."

"Good start," Cora said. "Looks like Operation...what was it again, darling?"

"Operation Hero and Leander."

"Right." Cora nodded. "Looks like Operation Hero and Leander is on. That was our agreement, yes? If they seemed to hit it off, we would go for it?"

Henry grinned. Cora rose and crossed to the little fridge in her office. She returned with two bottles of apple juice, pushing one across to Henry. He snatched it up, opening it. He lifted the drink towards her. "To the operation!"

Cora returned the toast, laughing. "To love, my dear. To love."

**Kailor: And next chapter, we get into the fire! Reviews appreciated, dearies.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kailor: Thank you all for the feedback, the follows, the favorites! You guys are awesome! And I quite enjoy writing this Cora. Since she has her heart here, she's the version of herself that she was just before she died in the show.**

Emma parked her cruiser in front of 108 Mifflin. The chill had eased somewhat, but she still wore her thick, black, bomber jacket with "SHERIFF" across the back in reflective lettering. Under it was her tan, button-up. Her badge was attached to her hip, her gun tucked into her back holster. She even wore her black slacks, completely in uniform. It felt weird not to be in her red jacket and skinny jeans, but she was representing Storybrooke today. Even though the expert meeting her at the site was an old friend, she felt like she needed to be on top of her game.

She saw the door to the Mills' mansion open and she quickly leapt out of the car, tucking her hands into her back pockets, to greet the new woman in town. It was hard to hide her smile when she saw the outfit Regina had on.

Like a proper businesswoman, she was wrapped in a burberry trenchcoat that reached her mid-thigh. Her black stockings led down into calf-high boots and Emma was certain there was a business-chic dress under the coat.

"Afternoon, Miss Swan," Regina said, letting herself out the front gate.

"Afternoon," Emma replied, just as formal. She quickly rounded the car and pulled the passenger door open. She saw Regina's eyebrow lift in surprise, but the woman just smiled and slid into the seat. Emma jogged around to her side and settled in, pulling her seatbelt on. "You have a camera?"

Regina pulled the device from her pocket, waving it so the driver could see it out the corner of her eye.

"Good, good." For a moment, they sat in silence. "So, what did you do in New York?"

Regina shifted in her seat, crossing her legs at the ankles. "I was a lawyer. A partner in my firm."

Emma whistled appreciately. "Big money."

Regina didn't answer immediately, taking in the woman's pristine uniform and her fingers drumming on the wheel. She realized the sheriff was nervous, but wasn't sure why. But she didn't mind. She felt a little nervous herself for some reason. Maybe because she was about to see a burnt down home in the middle of the woods. "Big enough that I could retire at my age," she said.

Emma flashed her a cursory look. "You barely look old enough to qualify for benefits from a company, much less retire."

Regina laughed. "Thank you, Sheriff. But I assure you I am plenty old enough to qualify for benefits."

The drive seemed to take very little time and when Emma parked the car, Regina glanced around. The trees parted just ahead, surrounding a large mansion, bigger than her parents'. Emma hurred to her side before she could even reach for the door handle and pulled it open. Regina rose, straightening her coat and nodding her thanks. "Jefferson's driveway is full of potholes, so we'll walk from here, if you don't mind."

"That does sound treacherous. Should I be unable to complete the trip, tell my parents my death was not in vain," Regina quipped, setting off towards the house without the blonde. She heard a soft laugh behind her and felt her own lips curl upwards.

At the very beginning of the driveway was a red van sporting large white letters that read, "CFI". They passed it, following the long curving driveway. The potholes were indeed large and Regina was glad Emma had chosen not to drive over them. A man with wild black hair and a scruffy face waited for them on the front porch. He wore a bomber jacket like Emma's, but it read "Certified Fire Investigator" on the back. He grinned as they drew closer. "Swan!"

"Dusty!" Emma called back, laughing as he grabbed her up in a hug. When her feet were back on the ground, she stepped back, hooking one thumb into her back pocket and gesturing to Regina with the other. "Dusty, this is Regina Mills, the mayor's representative. Miss Mills, this is Dusty Crophopper."

"Pleasure's mine," Dusty said, wagging an eyebrow. "They sure know how to make 'em in Storybrooke!"

Regina's eyebrows rose, her lips pursing, and in a very business-like tone, she said, "I was under the impression we were here to evaluate how big of a tragedy this fire was."

Dusty's smile slipped, but he didn't look offended. "Right. Totally right. Put these on." He handed each of them a pair of gloves. "Don't touch anything unless I say so. Let's?" He swept an arm to the house, as if inviting them into his own home.

Emma stepped forward, using the key David had gotten from Jefferson the night before. The second she opened the door, Regina took a step back. The burning stench of smoke made her eyes water and brought a reflexive cough to her throat. Emma narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose at the smell, but followed Dusty inside without complaint. Regina trailed behind, pulling out her mother's camera and a handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth with.

They passed a swooping staircase and Dusty led them down the hall to the back of the house. "I took a peek around the tarps before you guys got here. Seems like the brunt of the damage was in a kid's room."

"Grace," Emma whispered, her voice hoarse with the thought of seeing the little girl's room burnt. She knew Grace well. Henry was only a year older than her. She forcefully shoved down the image of Henry's room filled with smoke.

At the end of the hall, Dusty stopped, sniffing a bit. Then he turned and pushed open the door to his left. The smell was even stronger and even Dusty turned away from it this time, blinking rapidly. Emma pressed her jacket sleeve to her face.

The investigator moved into the room, signalling for them to stay back. He pulled a small video camera from his jacket and slowly rounded the room, getting everything on tape with a methodic sweep of his camera. In certain areas he paused, zooming in or toggling out.

Regina stepped into the doorway, taking pictures. Emma stood at her back, staring at the destroyed room before her.

Only the wall to her left was untouched by the fire, though the soot and smoke had settled into the shelves filled with stuffed toys and books. Emma's eyes fell on a white bear, stained black almost everywhere. Her heart clenched at the sight, and she was silently thankful that no one had been home during the fire.

Dusty paused beside the only window in the room. He bent to get better footage of the power outlet beneath it. "Looks like the point of origin here." His finger traced in the air over the "V" of burn marks climbing the walls. "Fire climbed up from here. But it looks like it started on the floor. Maybe a short circuit that threw sparks on the carpet." He continued to stare, frowning.

Regina zoomed in to get a better picture of the area he had indicated. Dusty suddenly stood, holding something between his thumb and forefinger.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

Dusty pointed to the window. "When a fire happens, glass breaks as a result of temperature differences between the glass that you can see and glass that's protected by the framing material." His finger trailed back to the black "V" around the window. "As you can see by the scorch marks, the fire climbed around the window and spread through the room. But the window heated enough that cracks developed at the edges of the window panes and moved inwards."

Emma eyed the cracks in each pane. Then she noticed what Dusty had. The bottom pane on the right wasn't cracked, it was gone.

Dusty held up what he'd picked off the floor. It was a small shard of glass, blackened around the edges. "Tempered glass breaks into small chunks like this when it cracks. However, this isn't tempered glass. It shouldn't have broken like this..." He turned to Emma. "Take the camera outside. See if there's any glass outside the window."

"Why?" Regina asked, unable to stop herself.

"This fire didn't burn hot enough to blow the window out. Why is this one pane broken?" Dusty flicked the tarp outside the window with his finger.

"Are you suggesting it wasn't the fire that broke it?" Regina threw a glance at Emma, but the blonde's face was stoic, only her furrowed brow showing her concern.

Dusty shrugged. "Maybe. But we'll have to interview the girl and her father and the people that came to put the fire out. It's possible they threw cold water on this part of the room and shattered the window that way. When glass changes temperature very quickly, it shatters. Like if you put a glass in the freezer over night then dropped it in a sink of hot water." He puffed his cheeks out, making an explosion sound. "I won't know for sure until I get the samples back to the lab and review this tape. If this window had been broken by the fire or by the extinguishing, there should be glass on both sides of the wall, because it would have blown quickly. So...I can tentatively say that, if there's no glass outside, then this might not have been an accident."

Emma and Regina shared a solemn look, then moved away from the burnt room. Emma cast one last look over her shoulder at the soot-stained animals on the shelves.

She opened the back door for Regina, letting the mayor's daughter out first. Then she followed the brunette around to Grace's window. As Regina took a picture, Emma crouched and ran a gloved hand through the grass.

After a few moments, she looked up at Regina and shook her head.

XXXXXXX

Emma dropped Regina off at 108, rushing around to open her door. She waited until she saw the brunette wave good night, then disappear into the house before hopping back into the cruiser.

She drove to the Sheriff's station, planning on dropping off the cruiser and switching into her normal clothes. She entered her office, shrugging off the bomber jacket and sighing.

"Long day?"

Emma jumped, dropping her keys. The tan woman sitting in the deputy area smiled at her, her slanted eyes dancing with mirth.

"Damn, Mulan! I'm putting a bell on you!" Emma tried to calm her racing heart, resuming her stripping by unbuttoning her Sheriff shirt.

Mulan pulled her long, dark hair out of the bun she'd had it in all day, propping her feet on her desk. "How was the fire investigation?"

Emma shrugged. "Dusty has a lot to go over in his lab before he can say for certain what happened. We don't exactly have the supplies he needs in Storybrooke." She pulled off her slacks, not caring about her deputy and friend seeing her in her boy shorts. As she put on her skinny jeans, she said, "But he said it looks like someone may have set the fire." She explained what Dusty had said about the window and the path of the fire.

Her deputy was frowning by the time she finished. "Who would do that?"

"No idea," the sheriff replied. "Jefferson isn't exactly Storybrooke's Most Eligible Bachelor, but I don't know anyone that hates him enough to do this. And Grace, she's just an angel. Sweetest kid."

"Then I assume we start looking into the father?"

"Yeah. I'll interview him tomorrow. Maybe you should stop by Town Hall and question Cora's assistant." Emma mentally rubbed her hands together at the blush that flared on her friend's cheeks.

"W-why would I question her?"

Emma slipped into her red leather jacket, pursing her lip like she was thinking seriously about it. "Well, she lives fairly close to Jefferson's neck of the woods." Almost true. The young woman lived at the edge of the forest. "If someone really did target Jefferson, it may be for her own safety to be put on alert."

Mulan, taking the bait hook, line, and sinker, sat up straighter. "You're right. Maybe...maybe I should stop by to check on her. Should I tell her what Mr. Crophopper said?"

"Maybe not all of it. But warn her that there was something suspicious about the fire and you're worried about her being all alone in her apartment." The blonde dove into her desk, pretending to dig around for something so Mulan wouldn't see her grinning.

But Mulan wasn't even looking at her. She was nodding and staring into her palms. "Perhaps. I admit that I don't like the idea of h-uh-of anyone living all alone that close to the woods."

"Oh!" Emma said, standing and turning wide eyes to her friend. "Maybe if you invited her out for dinner a few times, it would help cut down on how often she's at home alone!"

And like the big puppy she was, Mulan pounced on the suggestion, literally shooting to her feet. "Yes! Should I ask her tomorrow?"

Emma hissed through her teeth, closing one eye and rocking back on her heels. Then she grinned. "Yeah, that should work."

Mulan nodded curtly, one hand on her hip, the other rubbing her chin. "Then I'll do that. Yes. Goodnight to you too, Emma." And she was gone, not even realizing Emma hadn't told her goodbye.

The blonde grinned after her friend for a moment before following her out, a new bounce in her step.

XXXXXXX

Henry looked up from his homework as his mother entered. She had a huge grin on her face and was nearly skipping on every other step as she crossed the kitchen, popping open the fridge. He was just about to ask how her day with Regina had gone, but Ruby came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through her long brown hair, the freshly dyed red streaks still dark with water. "Emma! Welcome home. Why are you so peppy?"

Emma closed the fridge with her hip, holding a bottle of root beer. "I helped push a friend towards the person they liked." She used the bottle opener on her keys to pop the top off her drink, then fixed her gaze on her roommate. "So I guess that means there's only you to pester about romance now."

Henry dropped his pen, ready to watch this.

Ruby's ears turned red first. "I don't know what you're talking about, Swan."

"Come on, Rubes. Who is it? Just give me a hint."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No way. In a town this small, a single hint could lead you straight to their social security number."

The blonde waved her friend's comment off. "Not even true. I'm sure you could give me a tiny hint that wouldn't tell me who he-" she raised an eyebrow, continuing innocently. "She? Them? Is."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"You don't have to! I'm sure I'll run into them eventually, maybe at Granny's-or the store-the docks? The Sheriff's station? Town Ha-"

"You're not getting a hint out of me, woman."

The brunette flounced out of the room, ignoring Emma's string of questions.

When they were alone again, Emma leaned towards Henry. The trip to Jefferson's house still weighed heavily on her mind and she knew it would be a few days before Dusty returned with all the test results. So she figured now was the time to have a little fun. "Hey, Hen. You work tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yes," he said slowly, narrowing his eyes at her.

She grinned. "Well, it seems Aunt Ruby is keeping a secret from us, kid."

Henry leaned in conspiratorially. "That is quite unacceptable. And what should we do about that?"

Emma's grin grew, matching his. "Bring your stealth gear to work, kid. I'll pick you up at four."

As she headed off to shower, Henry grabbed his phone and sent out a quick text: _My mom is picking me up tomorrow at four. I think your daughter should bring you lunch around that time, yeah?_

A few moments passed before his phone dinged.

_I like the way you think._

**Kailor: Reviews appreciated! Please let me know what you think folks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kailor: Such sweet reviews. Keep 'em coming and I'll keep these chappies coming, dearies! Thank you all! Enjoy!**

**Quick thought: Did anyone else realize that "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy is like...Regina's theme song? Seriously, go read those lyrics and think about it. If I knew how, I would have made a music video for her by now.**

Regina took another bite of the lunch she was sharing with her mother and young Henry. She adored the boy already. When she'd shown up with lunch from Granny's Diner, he immediately took the bags from her, opened the door to Cora's office before she could even reach for the handle, and pulled out the chair she chose to sit in. The perfect gentleman. And he was insanely smart. Since he was only twelve, she had been prepared to spend lunch talking about pop culture and how much school sucked. But Henry was quick to surprise her with a lack of interest for anything new. He loved music and movies from her generation, which she suspected was his mother's doing. But when he quoted a Dr. Hook song, she almost dropped her coffee, very impressed with his tastes.

Suddenly, Henry glanced at the clock. "Oh! I have to get changed! Excuse me a few minutes." He rose, nodding politely as he hurried from the room.

"Mother, what private school did that boy grow up in?" Regina turned to Cora, who was grinning widely. "He's wonderful! I'm about to convince Miss Swan to let me adopt him!"

"Now, that would be interesting," Cora said, her eyebrows raising. "But he's wonderful, yes. His mother drills it into him every day that being a gentleman is the way to go. Speak of the devil!" The mayor rose to her feet, looking over Regina's head.

Regina turned, blinking at the sight before her.

Emma was standing in the doorway, dressed in army fatigue pants tucked into leather hiking boots, a loose gray tank top, and a messenger bag across her chest. A pair of binoculars hung from her neck. Her hair was tied low, the gray beanie back in place. But as Regina rose to greet her, Emma swept it off her head, nodding hello. "Hey! I was just here to pick up Henry."

"I'm here, Mom!" Henry stepped around his mother, wearing his own army fatigues, a gray, long sleeve shirt, with a black combat vest over it.

Cora rounded the desk to place a hand on Henry's shoulder. "My, my. What are we up to today, Swans?"

"Aunt Ruby is hiding something from us," Henry piped up. "We're going to find out what it is."

"For her own good, of course," Emma jumped in.

"Of course," Regina echoed, trying to hide her smile. "Do you often dress your son in combat gear and roam the town?"

The two Swans seemed to think about it. "Not often-" Emma said.

"Well, there was last month-"

"But the time before that was like a year ago."

"No, there was also the Operation in June."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that-"

"So," Cora cut them off. "Where are you headed?"

Before answering, Emma pulled out her phone and checked it. "Well my sources say Ruby is on her way to Granny's Diner and doing a little window shopping. So we'll just be heading down the street."

"Hmmm." Cora pursed her lips. "Then would you mind walking my Regina home? It's nearly on the way."

Regina opened her mouth to say that she knew the way home, but Emma beat her to it.

"Sounds like a deal," the blonde said.

"No, really, I know the-"

"Here," Cora cut her off, slapping a folded paper into her hands. "If you don't want to go home, then you can just go roam the town a bit. This is a map of Storybrooke and I even labelled each little house with who lives there!"

Henry eagerly leaned forward to look at the map as Regina unfolded it. "Wow, Mother." She eyed the little boxes with names scribbled in Cora's neat handwriting. "This is...quite...thorough."

"Is that creepy?" Cora clasped and unclasped her hands in front of her, scrunching her nose. "It's not like I'm an evil queen or anything. I just like to know where my subjects live so I can drop by to collect taxes and first borns."

Henry suddenly swung a wide-eyed look on Emma. "Am I the second born?"

"Third actually. First born she just takes, but you can trade the second born in for a big screen T.V."

"And third borns can be swapped for brand new cars," Cora added, eyes twinkling.

Emma grabbed Henry by the vest, pushing him into Cora's arms. "Bye, Hen."

Regina and Cora laughed while Henry straightened his vest, his face reddening. He glared at his mother playfully. "Is it bad that the _main _reason I know you wouldn't do that is how much you love the bug?"

"Question for another day, kid." Emma gestured to the door. "We have one lady to walk home and another to stalk through town. Come along."

Regina purposely stepped between Emma and Henry, putting her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Just when I thought you were a good influence on young Henry," she said over her shoulder as they passed his blonde mother. "I'm starting to think it's the other way around!"

Emma just smiled, shrugging. She couldn't exactly argue with that, since it was true.

The trio followed the hall to the front entrance. A young asian woman wearing a deputy unifrom was talking to Cora's assisstant, her face red and her hands clasped behind her back like she was reporting to a superior. Emma noticed the woman and sped up a bit, passing Henry and Regina.

Aurora, as Regina had learned her name was, was looking a little confused, her brow furrowed, but with a smile on her face. "I'm not sure I understand, Mulan. What about where I live?"

The deputy, Mulan, caught sight of Emma, and Regina could nearly see "Help me" flash across her face. Emma halted beside the shorter woman, spinning to face Aurora.

"Heya, Aurora!"

"Hello, Sheriff," Aurora answered politely, her eyes darting from the blonde to the brunette in front of her.

"I believe what Mulan was trying to say is that she knows you live alone very close to the woods, and she just wanted you to know if you ever wanted to get out sometime or if you just wanted company, she is very available to you. Right, Lan?"

Mulan floundered for words, her blush spreading all the way up to her ears.

The confusion on Aurora's face suddenly switched to a huge smile. "Oh, Mulan, that's so sweet of you! Of course! Maybe-uh-should I give you my number? Or do you want to give me yours? Or should we just-"

Emma had already produced a pen and pad from the back pocket of her fatigues. She handed them to Mulan. The deputy quickly scribbled down her number, her hands shaking visibly. Then Emma had Aurora write her number down on the same page, pulled it from the pad, and ripped it in half. "There you go. I must be going now. Enjoy yourselves!" And the sheriff strolled away, opening the door for Henry and Regina.

As Regina stepped out into the street, she glanced back at the odd scene behind her and found Mulan hurrying down the hall towards Cora's office and Aurora smiling down at the slip of paper in her hand, a blush on her own cheeks.

"Ah, this day is full of good deeds!" Emma declared, slinging an arm around Henry's shoulders and pulling her beanie back on.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Haven't you heard the saying, 'No good deed goes unpunished'?"

"I have," Emma nodded. "But I never really understood it."

It was Henry that answered her. "It means that good deeds are often unappreciated or they're met with hostility. And if they are appreciated, they often lead to additional requests. So either people are unhappy with you helping or they expect you to help again in the future."

Emma ruffled his hair. "Where'd you get so smart, kid?"

"Oooh, there's Aunt Ruby!"

Regina jumped as her two companions hit the ground, rolling behind a nearby car and peering around it. She followed their line of sight, seeing a young brunette woman leaving what she remembered to be the library, the building with the clock tower above it. The brunette waved to someone inside, then headed down the street away from them, carrying a couple shopping bags.

"Target is in sight," Henry hissed, though he probably could have yelled and Ruby wouldn't have heard him since she was so far away.

"Copy that." Emma half-crouched, half-ran back to Regina's side. "Move out!"

And Regina found herself walking between the two of them, rolling her eyes as they hid behind benches and in between buildings, before hurrying to another hiding spot. "This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever been a part of," she told them, glancing around. It worried her that not a single soul seemed phased by their sheriff and a young boy creeping through town dressed for combat. Luckily, they reached Mifflin before they did anything too embarrassing.

"Henry, you go ahead. Keep an eye on the target. Anything that looks suspicious, you call me." Emma tapped the walkie strapped to her hip.

"Where are you going?" Regina asked, realizing it really wasn't her business after the words were out.

"I'm walking you home, of course." Emma jerked a thumb down Mifflin Street.

"But-" Regina pointed down the street to where Ruby had disappeared.

Emma waved her protests off. "It won't take long. Unless you'd rather continue with us? I'm pretty sure we have an extra set of binoculars in Henry's vest."

Henry nodded, patting one of the many pockets on his vest.

"I'm perfectly all right," Regina said. "Fine. You may walk me home."

One of Emma's eyebrows rose an inch. "Yes, Your Majesty. This way." With a flourish and a short bow, she ushered Regina before her down the street. Henry waved and hurried in the direction Ruby had gone.

They walked in silence for half a block. Then, "It really is ridiculous. What Henry and you are up to, I mean."

The sheriff shrugged, hooking her thumbs in her back pockets. "It's just fun. I am curious to know what Ruby's hiding, but all this-" she indicated her outfit and the binoculars bouncing against her chest. "This is just for Henry's benefit. We used to do this a lot when he was younger. I would give him chores, like cleaning his room or going down the street to get sugar from a friend's house, and we'd turn it into a game. He would name each one 'Operation Cobra' or 'Operation North Star'. And this seriousness would come over him, like he really was on a mission. As he grew, he started assigning operation names to anything he wanted."

Regina fingered the strap of her purse, taking all of that in.

Emma continued when Regina didn't immediately answer. "I know it's kinda, you know, dumb. But the thing is, since we started it, Henry has yet to fail at whatever operation he's started. I can only take a little credit for it, but I think they were what taught him to go for what he wants and not to give up." She shrugged, laughing. "Or maybe he's just stubborn, like his mother."

A car passed, blowing up fallen leaves from the street. Regina glanced at the blonde beside her. "I think he's probably just stubborn." Then she smiled, taking the bite from her words. "But I like your version of it better, so we'll go with that."

Emma laughed, her head falling back. It reminded Regina of the first time she'd seen the sheriff, when she'd been sitting in her car, waiting for the road to clear.

"So, Miss Swan," Regina said. "You're the sheriff. You work construction. You're a mother, running around town with your son, acting like children. Do you have any other jobs?"

"Not really. I just dabble in everything. Since there's not normally huge crimes around here, I feel like I need to earn that nice salary your mother pays me. So people call me to help with all kinds of things." Emma kicked at a can on the sidewalk, then picked it up and tossed it in the trash can of 104. "Most of the time, though, I'm just getting cats out of trees or locking up Leroy for getting too drunk."

"Oh, you poor thing."

"You would realize how unwarranted your sarcasm is if you'd ever tried to get a cat out of a tree." Emma pointed to a long white line from her right elbow to the middle of her upper arm. "Cats are evil. This one looked like a sweet little kitten, until it attacked."

"Perhaps you just don't know how to handle them."

"Or they're evil."

"Evil is such a...strong term for a house pet."

"Exactly. Cats aren't house pets. They're demon spawn."

Regina laughed, shaking her head at the earnest dislike Emma spoke with. She wasn't a fan of cats herself. They shed everywhere and acted like royalty. There was only room for one queen in Regina's house.

"Well, here we are." Emma stopped walking.

Regina blinked up at her house, surprised they'd already reached it. She didn't know why, because it was a very short walk, but she felt like it should have been longer. "Here we are," she agreed, clasping her hands in front of her primly.

Emma bounced on the balls of her feet, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as an awkward silence fell over them.

It was broken by the crackle of Emma's walkie.

"ABORT MISSION! I REPEAT, ABORT MISSION! WE'VE BEEN MADE! HIDE!"

Emma snatched the walkie from her hip. "What happened?"

"She spotted me!" Henry's breathless voice puffed out. "And she's chasing me! Hide! I'm heading your way!"

"What!" Emma hissed. "You're leading her to me, you little rat?!"

"I said 'hide', didn't I!"

Regina heard the footsteps first, leaning around Emma. Henry had rounded the corner of the street and was sprinting towards them, holding his vest to keep it from bouncing everywhere.

Emma reacted immediately, launching herself into the hedges along the front of 108. The bushes shook violently for a few moments, then stilled. It was then that Regina saw the brunette from earlier appear, galloping after Henry, her shopping bags gone and her red highlights flaring behind her.

Henry shot past Regina. "Hi, Miss Mills!" She watched him cut through her yard, hit the fence, and clamber over clumsily.

The brunette clomped to a stop before Regina, clutching her ribs and glaring. "Did you see a blonde around here? Probably wearing the same kind of clothes as that kid?"

Regina drew herself up to her full height, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. "I'm sorry? Who are you looking for?"

But the brunette's eyes narrowed, searching her face. "Are you Mayor Mills' daughter? You look a lot like her."

"I am," Regina said, relieved. She refused to lie for the strange woman now hiding in her hedges. "Regina Mills."

The brunette shook her hand. "Ruby Lucas. So you know Emma then?"

"I'm afraid so," Regina said, making sure the hedges could hear her soulful sigh.

Ruby grinned. She pointed one finger at the very spot Emma had disappeared. "Well, I guess she isn't here, right?"

Regina just lifted one eyebrow, pursing her lips to keep from smiling.

Without warning, Ruby leapt into the hedges, growling. She heard Emma cry out, then a string of profanities left the bush before the two women came rolling out, wrestling to free themselves from each other.

"Well!" Regina called over their bickering. "I'm going inside. It was lovely to meet you, Miss Lucas. Miss Swan, thank you for walking me home. Good day." She turned on her heel, striding away before either could answer her.

Ruby, still wrapped around Emma's neck, said, "I like her. She totally told me where you were."

"She gave me up too? I'm surrounded by rats!"

XXXXXXX

Regina closed the door, hanging her coat in the hall closet. She couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the scene she'd just watched. Small towns were so much more interesting than the big city, she thought. She kicked off her heels and padded down to the kitchen, hearing her father moving around in there, singing off-key.

But he wasn't alone. Henry Swan was also there, his vest hanging on the back of a chair while he moved around the kitchen, retrieving things that her father needed to cook.

The older man smiled when she entered, leaning heavily on his cane to make the few steps to hug her. "Welcome home, _princesa._ How was your lunch?"

"It was interesting, Daddy." She eyed the sheriff's son over his shoulder. "I see you've found a hideout. Your mother is rolling on the cement with your aunt outside."

Henry grinned. "I knew Aunt Ruby would find her easy. Pops saw me out the window and called me in to help him out."

Regina's eyebrow curved up. "Pops?"

Her father laughed. "Young Henry is here quite often, helping around the house. It got confusing when your mother would call for one of us."

Henry nodded. "It makes sense, though. Since I'm named after Pops."

If possible, Regina felt her eyebrows rise farther. "And why is the sheriff's son named after you, Daddy? Is there something I should know?"

Henry Sr. laughed his loud belly laugh. "No, dear. I helped Emma out when she was younger. Not my story to tell though. Here, _niño_, stir this pot." He handed Henry the wooden spoon he'd been using. Then he limped to the table and sat heavily in one of the high-backed chairs. "But I would be interested in hearing this story. Why is Emma rolling on the cement outside?"

Henry Jr. laughed out loud as Regina rolled her eyes and sat to tell her father what she'd been dragged into during her lunch.

XXXXXXX

When Ruby and Emma finally clambered to their feet, dusting themselves off and chuckling, Ruby said, "Emma, I will tell you when I'm ready. Okay?"

The blonde nodded, rubbing her face where it had hit the sidewalk. "Okay. But you tell me first!"

"Of course," Ruby giggled. Then she pulled out her phone and tapped the message waiting for her. "I have to go back to Granny's to pick up my shopping. I dropped it there when I saw Henry looking through the window with his binoculars. You two really need to learn the definition of 'sneaky'." She slipped the phone back in her pocket. "Oh, and Mary Margaret wants to go out tonight for one last girls' night before the baby gets here. You coming?"

Emma tapped her chin, thinking about it. "Yeah, I can do that if David agrees to watch Henry. Who else is going?"

"The usuals. M&M said she was about to text you." Ruby patted her pocket.

As if on cue, Emma's phone dinged. "Sounds like my invite has arrived. But I need to go find my son now. So I can teach him what we do to rats in Storybrooke."

Ruby laughed. "How about you don't find him? I'll text him saying I got his mother and he's next and you just go home and wait for him there."

Emma's eyes lit up. "You're devious, my friend. He'll spend the day wondering what you might have done to me. I'm pretty sure I know where he's hiding anyways." She tipped her chin at the large house before them.

"More than likely." Ruby waved her off. "Go home and play dead. I'll make sure he's here, then head that way. You owe me. I expect my laundry to be running when I get there."

"Aye, aye, captain," Emma saluted jovially.

**Kailor: Reviews appreciated! Anybody noticed who Dusty is yet? Hmmm. Well, more character references coming in the next chapter and I hope you all like them. Let me know what you think! Who do you think Ruby is crushing on? Why is Henry named after Regina's father? Is Henry really safe and sound in 108? Mwahahahahahahaa.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Kailor: So when they hit the dance floor, they're definitely dancing to "Burnin' It Down" by Jason Aldean. Just sayin'. But feel free to choose any song you like to play in your head! That's just the one playing in mine while I'm writing this.**

Cora let herself in the house, humming under her breath. She was excited to put this next phase of Operation Hero and Leander into play...for her daughter's sake, of course. Right. Her humming stopped when she heard female voices laughing in the den. She put her coat away and followed the hall, peeking around the corner before she entered.

Regina was sitting on the opposite end of the couch from a thin blonde with bright blue eyes and a glass of wine. Cora smiled, sweeping into the room. "Kathryn!"

"Mamma Cora!" the woman called back with equal enthusiasm.

Kathryn Nolan had been Regina's best friend pretty much from birth. Even when Regina moved schools and then to New York, she kept closely in touch with the blonde woman. Kathryn had been to visit multiple times over the years, staying in Regina's large apartment in New York while Regina worked. And she was often at the Mills' house to help when Cora couldn't get Henry out of bed or if she was too busy to take care of him and Cora had a certain fondness for the woman.

"What are we doing tonight, dears? Any special places to go?" Cora settled into her plush armchair, sighing happily.

"The bottom of this bottle," Regina said, indicating the half empty merlot on the counter. "Why, Mother?"

"Well," Cora started, remembering the text Henry Jr. had sent her when he'd gotten home. "I was hoping we could go out tonight. It's been a long while since I got to take my girls out. And both of you are here now."

Kathryn threw back the last of her wine. "I'm in! I'll just have to get changed and I'm ready."

Regina swirled her wine for a moment, then sighed. "I guess I could go."

"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming," Kathryn said dryly. "What about Papa Henry?"

Cora suppressed the large grin that was threatening to take over her face. "I've already texted your brother, David. He'll be coming over here to babysit. Fathersit? Grown-man-sit?...Visit? Vi-sit? What is a 'Vi'?"

XXXXXXX

Ruby growled at herself in the downstairs bathroom mirror. Henry had shut himself in the upstairs one to shower and she was left with only her back-up make-up case. She loved the outfit she'd picked out: the jean capris, the too-short red tanktop. She felt ready to dance, but her face was a different story. "Emma, get your son out of the damn bathroom! I need my lipstick collection!"

Emma's laughter rang down the stairs. "Why do you even have a collection? All you wear is red!"

"Not true," Ruby huffed to herself, thinking about how true it was. But there were all different shades of red. She heard hangers sliding upstairs and leaned out the bathroom door. "Swan, you better stay out of my closet!"

"I'm not in your closet! I'm not in any closet, actually." Emma laughed at her own joke and Ruby rolled her eyes. A moment later, the blonde came hopping down the stairs, buttoning up a long-sleeved red shirt.

Ruby gasped at it. "That so came out of my closet!"

"Then quit judging it," Emma quipped with a grin. "It needs our support right now, Rubes. And I don't have much-" she glanced down at her rather small chest then back to Ruby with fake determination on her face. "But I will do my best."

"You're just going to take it off when we start dancing anyways." Ruby went back to her reflection, ignoring her roommate's shrug.

Henry joined them a minute later, still toweling his hair dry. "Finally," Ruby snapped, racing up the stairs past him. He waited for the bathroom door to shut before turning to his mother.

"Hey, Mom. David's gonna be here soon to get me."

"Okay, kid. You'll sleep there and I'll see you tomorrow? You work, right?"

"Yeah. And we'll be at the Mills mansion anyway so I can just ride to work with Mrs. Mills."

"Oh?" Emma was genuinely surprised. David hadn't mentioned that when she'd asked him to babysit.

"Yeah. Mrs. and Miss Mills are going somewhere too. Mrs. Mills called him just a little while ago to ask if he could watch after Pops. She said I could go along."

"That's cool of her," Emma opened the fridge, pulling two six-packs of bottled root beer out. She shoved them into her messenger bag. Henry rolled his eyes at the sight. His mother hated buying drinks when she went out. "Then I guess I'll just see you tomorrow when you get off. I'll pick you up and we can hang out, if you want."

"Yeah, that'd be cool, Mom." Henry turned to go back upstairs and finish packing for the night. "Have fun tonight! Be safe!"

"Tell that to your Aunt Ruby!" Emma laughed. Wolf's head popped up from the love seat, where he'd been napping. "Well, good morning. Planning on becoming a cat? You roam wherever you want then come home and sleep all day." She glared at him. "Don't become a cat. You'll be living on the streets permanently."

A knock on the door interrupted her scolding. Without waiting for her answer, it opened and Mulan stepped in, followed by a tiny woman with messy blonde hair in a bun and green eyes. She grinned when she saw Emma. "I am prepared for the night. I brought the only thing keeping the Irish from ruling the world!" She held up a very large bottle of Jameson whiskey.

"Hey, Tink." Emma rolled her eyes at the smaller blonde. "I'm guessing you're sleeping here tonight?"

"Hell yes. I've already started drinking. I'm surprised I got my car here."

"You realize you just confessed to drinking and driving to the sheriff, right?" Mulan asked, chuckling.

Tink's eyes widened. "I plead the fifth." This set Emma and Mulan off laughing.

"I don't think it works that way," Emma said, grabbing her bag as Ruby trotted down the stairs. The front door opened again, admitting a small brunette with short hair and a very pregnant belly.

"Mary Margaret, give me that baby!" Ruby said, hurrying to hug the newcomer-or her belly, actually.

"Hey," Mary Margaret laughed. "David's outside waiting for Henry. We're all riding together, right?"

Mulan, who had volunteered to be designated driver, nodded. "Shall we?" The group cheered.

XXXXXXX

The Anne-Marie was right on the edge of Storybrooke. It's doors opened two years before and since then it became a popular hang-out for people from the next few towns over. They would pour in every weekend and fill the dance floor and the second story balcony, drink heavily, tip the dancers, then return to their little towns when the doors closed. That night it was packed, the dance floor constantly stuffed with gyrating bodies and flailing limbs. But Cora managed to lead her girls upstairs and snagged a table right up against the railing, overlooking the first floor. She was clutching two bottles of wine, both for her, and awkwardly nodding to the music. "I love this song!"

"Do you even know who sings this, Mother?" Regina settled daintily on the stool across from Cora, placing her own glass of wine on the table. She smoothed her blue dress, wishing she'd dressed down a bit more. But Kathryn and her mother were also well-dressed, so at least she wasn't alone.

"Inky Minaj-a-tois, yes?"

Kathryn choked into her beer, ducking under the table to compose herself.

Cora ignored her, glancing at the T.V.s that ran the length of the bar below. "Who's playing tonight? I can't quite see that far."

Regina squinted at the screens. "The Saints and the 49ers. Whoever they are."

"Whoo!" Cora cheered, throwing her arms in the air. "Go, 69ers! Go, 69ers!"

"49ers, Mother! I said 49ers!"

Cora chuckled darkly, leaning closer. "I bet they _wish _they were the 69ers." Her amusement was only heightened when her daughter's face burned red. She returned to cheering for her new favorite team.

Kathryn was still coughing to get the beer she'd inhaled out of her lungs, but she managed to swing an arm around Regina and motion to the dance floor below them. "Look at all the gorgeous women for you and all the sexy men for me! It must be our birthday!"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Please. Like I'm going to find someone in this kind of place. Most of these people are still children. Did you see the university bus outside? We're surrounded by fraternities and sororities."

Kathryn eyed the dancers on the bar. "Well, color me cougar, because some of these boys are yummy."

It seemed rolling her eyes was going to be the theme of the night. Regina sighed, sipping her wine.

XXXXXXX

"Oh, yeah! Take it off!" The tiny blonde at the bar cheered as the dancer in the white speedo rolled his hips for her. She waved another five in the air, rocking to the music.

Emma grabbed her friend, steering her back towards their table. "Tink, if you give him all your money you won't be able to get more alcohol."

"Emma!" Tink sighed, casting a longing glance over her shoulder. "I'm gonna marry that guy. Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Sure, Tink. Come on. Everyone else just got here and you're already drunk." They squeezed through the crowd to their table, where Emma sat Tink down between Mulan and Ruby.

Tink's eyes lit up when she saw the deputy. "Mulan! What are you doing here?"

Mulan blinked, spreading her hands. "Uh, I drove you here?"

"You did?" Tink's eyes filled with tears. "That's so sweet of you."

Emma carefully slipped Tink's wallet out of her handbag and into her own pocket. No more for the little blonde tonight. Then she noticed who was sitting next to Mulan. "Belle!"

The brunette wiggled her fingers in greeting, grinning her dimpled grin. Her ice blue eyes flickered to Tink, then back. "Having fun, Emma?" Her accent added a soft 'r' to the end of Emma's name and the sheriff loved it. Since the woman had moved to Storybrooke from Australia, Emma had enjoyed just hearing her speak.

"A blast," Emma laughed. "Who else is with you?"

"Oh, we all carpooled with Elsa. Anna, Ariel, and Aurora are also here. They're all getting drinks at the bar with Mary Margaret."

Mulan suddenly coughed into the root beer Emma had given her.

Emma quickly pulled off the red button-up, hanging it over Tink's chair, leaving her in her white tanktop. "Well, while they settle in," she held out a hand. "Care to dance?"

Belle hopped off her stool, accepting the hand. "I'd love to."

"Oooh, us too!" Ruby grabbed Mulan's hand, ignoring the deputy's blush.

Tink set her head on the table. "I'll just stay here 'til recess," she mumbled, not making sense to anyone.

XXXXXXX

"So, then your father yelled, 'Cora! My jacket's in the door! Stop!'." The three women laughed, trying and failing to get back under control.

Finally, Kathryn choked out, "What did you do then?"

"Well, I kept driving, of course! He hadn't apologized yet!" The laughter started anew.

Regina could feel the slight humming in her veins that said the wine was working. The music changed to something a bit slower, and she was grateful. The pounding of the bass had been starting to annoy her and her cheeks still hurt from laughing. She sipped her wine, then refilled it from one of Cora's bottles.

"Hey," Kathryn said, leaning over the railing beside Regina. "Don't we know them?"

Cora and Regina followed the finger Kathryn was pointing at the crowd below.

Regina recognized the deputy first.

Mulan obviously wasn't one for dancing, but she shifted awkwardly, holding Ruby's hands as the brunette attempted to lead her to the beat. Ruby was laughing, not minding her partner's lack of skill. She made Mulan spin her, her red highlights swirling behind her. Beside them was a brunette that Regina didn't know, her hair done up in a messy bun, loose tendrils sticking to her neck in the heat of the club. Her blue sleeveless and backless top moved like silk as she danced, one hand holding her drink above her head. Her other forearm rested on the shoulder of a blonde that Regina immediately knew.

She twisted and turned, swinging her hips like she'd invented it. Her eyes were half-closed, her long hair swaying along her back, following the rolling of subtle curves and toned arms. Her painted-on jeans showed just how long her legs were, not leaving much to the imagination. A crooked grin played on her lips as she moved with the brunette. Others on the dance floor had slowed their own moves, watching the two women.

Regina quickly took a gulp of her wine, needing to clear the desert from her throat.

"Did I say all the gorgeous women were for you?" Kathryn said, lifting an eyebrow. "Can I take that back?"

"No, ma'am." Regina replied before she could think about it.

Cora grabbed her hand, eyes twinkling from either the wine or the pulsing lights of the club. "Let's go say hello, dear."

"Come on, Mother. They're having fun. I thought this was our night." She did not want to face the blonde sheriff right now.

"Our night can include our fellow Storybrooke citizens. Come along." And Cora latched onto the shoulder of a young man dancing towards the stairs, letting him lead her through the crowd. Kathryn grabbed Regina's arm and pulled her after.

XXXXXXX

Emma had switched dance partners, back to back with Ruby. Belle had taken over trying to teach Mulan to move. After realizing the poor deputy had no sense of beat, she decided it was time to bring out the big guns. She slipped one hand over Mulan's shoulder, crooking a finger at their table. When the pretty red head realized Belle was motioning to her, she set her drink down and hurried onto the dance floor.

"Aurora," Belle said, as if she was surprised to find her there. "Perfect timing. I need to get another drink and Mulan's actually starting to catch on. Think you could continue the lesson?"

Mulan's face was a deep red now, bordering on purple, and Belle wasn't sure she was breathing. She squeezed the deputy's shoulder.

Aurora smiled a dazzling smile. "Of course."

"Well, you'll probably get the best results-" Belle grabbed Aurora and turned her, pressing her back to Mulan's front. "Like this. Have fun!" And she wandered over to the bar.

Aurora giggled at how stiff Mulan had gotten. "Not a dancer?"

"Not at all."

"Well, it's easy. Here." She slipped her hands over Mulan's, tangling their fingers together. She pressed back against the deputy's strong chest and swayed slowly. "Just move with me. Forget everyone else is watching."

Aurora had no idea that Mulan had already forgotten where they were the second their hands touched.

Emma, noticing the switch in Mulan's dance tutors, grabbed Ruby and carefully danced her away. Back at the table, she allowed herself to laugh. "Poor Mulan. She looks like her head is about to explode."

"Did I just hear that we may lose one of our best deputies?"

Emma spun, finding Cora slipping into the seat next to Mary Margaret. "Madam Mayor," she greeted, smiling when she saw Kathryn and Regina joining them as well. She stepped closer to Regina. "Miss Mills."

"Regina, I think," the brunette corrected her. "This place calls for the informality, Miss Swan."

"Emma, then," Emma said. "Care to dance, Regina?"

Regina curled a lip at the gyrating bodies on the floor. "I don't dance like that."

Emma nodded, turning to scan the crowd. Then she spotted who she was looking for. "Right. I'll be back in a minute." She ducked off through the dancers.

Ruby offered the seat next to her and Regina sat gracefully, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Having fun?" Ruby called over the music.

"A bit, yes." Regina answered honestly. She eyed the still form of Tink. "Is she okay?"

Ruby shrugged. "Let's check." She thrust out a finger, poking the blonde. Tink groaned, lifting her head. "Hey, Tink. What's your motto in life?"

The blonde blinked at them for a moment, bleary-eyed. Then she slurred, "Life and beer are very similar: Chill for best results." Then her head dropped back to the table and Ruby burst into laughter.

"Yeah, she's fine."

XXXXXXX

Emma caught the arm of a tall, brown-haired man near the bar. "Charlie!"

Charlie, the owner of the Anne-Marie, glanced down at her. Then he broke into a large, toothy grin. "Emma! Waddua ya know, waddua ya say?"

"I say I need a change in music for a little bit."

Charlie pursed his lips, glancing up at the D.J. box in the corner. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a thick, gold pocketwatch. He flipped it open, checked it, then nodded, slipping it back into it's pocket. "Shift change just happened. King'll be running the booth now. He likes you, so no problem. Let's go. Oh, hang on. Itchy!" The bartender with the red baseball cap looked up. "A beer for your boss, bud!"

"Right at ya, Charlie."

When Charlie had his beer, he led her over to the box and knocked on the door. It cracked open a moment later and a large dark-skinned man peeked through. When he saw who it was, he stepped out of the way, a smile spreading across his face. "Heya, boss. What can I do you for?"

"Hey! I know we're all dead up here, but so's the music. How about heating it up?" Charlie jerked a thumb at Emma. "The lady wants a shift in tune, King."

The large man settled into his chair before the large computer and turn tables. He waved one large hand over the equipment. "Well, tell me what you want, baby. Let's make music together!"

XXXXXXX

The music slowed down quite a bit, softening and easing the pulsating of the crowd. A large chunk of the dancers took this break to return to the bar for another few rounds. Regina was chatting with the two redheads left at the table, Ariel and Anna, and didn't notice Emma's return until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"So," the sheriff said. "How about that dance now?"

Regina glanced at the dance floor. There was no longer any gyrating or thrusting going on. Instead, there were couples everywhere, swaying together. Mulan and the third redhead were still on the floor, facing each other now, the girl's head resting on the deputy's shoulder as they moved. Regina felt a bit of heat touch her cheeks, but Kathryn kicked her under the table. So she nodded and allowed Emma to pull her away from the table.

Emma politely offered her hand and Regina slipped her own into it, ignoring how well they fit together. Emma's other hand went to Regina's waist and the brunette draped her free hand over the sheriff's shoulder. She felt for a few moments like she was back in private school, dancing at one of the mandatory dances. The thought made her smile.

"Are you liking Storybrooke?" Emma asked, head bent to catch Regina's answer over the music. Even in heels, Regina was shorter.

"I am," Regina replied. "Besides the fire thing, it's really been great to be back. I missed my parents a lot."

Emma nodded, pausing to spin Regina quickly, taking the brunette by surprise. She grinned at the laugh that slipped from Regina's lips as she came back from the spin, unconciously moving closer than before. "How's Pops holding up? Didn't you move back home to take care of him?"

"Yes, but he's doing very well. I've rarely had to help him the last few days. He's still quite stubborn and I let him get away with it until it's obvious that he really needs help." The music and alcohol were working on her body, relaxing her. She had to fight to resist laying her head on the shoulder before her. She searched for words to distract her from the soft skin the white tanktop did nothing to hide. "While we're on the topic, I wanted to ask you. Why is your son named after my father?"

The blonde didn't answer right away, softly swaying. Then, "When I was younger, just before Henry was born, I got into some trouble. Your father helped me out immensely. I wouldn't even have the kid without Pops."

"Wait a second," Regina said, pulling back to look into the sheriff's green eyes. "My father said something similar, but I didn't assume it had something to do with his job. But...was my father..."

"My parole officer. Yes." Emma gave a tight smile, not really meeting her gaze. "I got caught with a load of stolen watches and ended up in jail for eleven months. Had Henry while I was in." Her mouth snapped shut after that, realizing she'd revealed quite a bit more than she meant to.

"Were you-"

"Yeah, I was stealing them. But..." Emma pulled her closer. "I'll tell you the full story some other time. This stuff is too heavy for girls' night."

Regina nodded, a hundred questions swirling on her tongue, but she let it drop. Obviously there was more to the sheriff than she ever expected. And since the woman was sheriff, after all, it must be in the past. Maybe it was the wine, but she didn't care so much at that moment. So she let Emma pull her in, giving in to the urge to rest her chin on the taller woman's shoulder.

XXXXXXX

One of Cora's friends showed up to drive them home. Regina found herself giggling in the backseat with Kathryn while her mother sat up front and serenaded their driver. By the time they reached 108, the giggles had become full-blown laughter. Cora spent ten minutes trying to get her door open, batting away any attempts to help.

Finally, they managed to carry Cora up into the house. Regina was struggling to pull her heels off as Cora crawled her way up the stairs, whispering loudly that they needed to be quiet before they woke everyone. Kathryn was hanging onto the doorway to the kitchen, cackling as quietly as she could, which was not quietly. After a few minutes of uncontrollably laughing at Cora's assurances that she could get to bed on her own, though she was only four stairs up, David appeared from the living room, rubbing his eyes. He kindly offered to help and Cora gave in, letting the deputy half-carry her up to her room. Kathryn was already dozing against the kitchen door, waking every few moments to giggle. Regina forced her into one of the guest bedrooms, putting her to bed. Then she followed her mother upstairs, passing David on the way.

Her room was at the end of the hall. She passed her parents' room, hearing her mother giggling inside. The bathroom light was on, so she reached in and flipped it off automatically, wishing the hallway didn't look so tilted suddenly. But before she could open her door, she heard rustling in the only guest room on the second floor. She reached out, pushing the door open.

She hadn't thought to look in here since she'd moved in. But now she could see that it wasn't really a guest room. Instead of the muted colors and empty shelves of their other guest rooms, this one had baseball gloves on the dresser, video games in the corner by the T.V, and clothes in the not quite closed drawers. There wasn't a lot of stuff, but it was obviously a little boy's room. And the gray and red stripped bedspread was bunched at the bottom of the bed, not covering the small body splayed over the mattress. His face was relaxed, a small smile on his lips. Regina felt her chest tighten at the sight illuminated by the hall light.

Careful not to make noise, she slipped into the room and pulled the bedspread back up, tucking it lightly around Henry's sleeping form. Then she smoothed a hand over his tousled hair, smiling as he mumbled in his sleep. For a few moments, she just watched him sleep. Then she shook herself and hurried from the room, not wanting to scare him if he woke.

When his door clicked shut, Henry opened one sleep crusted eye, blinking at the door. He wasn't sure, but it felt like someone had just been in the room with him. Stretching to the bedside table, he picked up his phone to check the time. He rubbed his eyes when he saw he had two texts from Cora.

The first made him grin. It was a picture of Regina dancing in the arms of someone with an unmistakeable mane of golden hair. Under the picture, Cora had typed, _Leander's in the water!_ He saved it to his phone, then flipped to the second message.

He rolled his eyes at the picture of Cora sticking a straw into a boozy Ariel's nose, chuckling. But he saved that picture as well before burrowing back into his blankets.

**Kailor: Thank you all for the reviews! More would be appreciated and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter gets darker.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kailor: I wonder who caught the reference about the club owner. Hmmm. But anyways, thank you all for the reviews. I love that you guys are all happy with Henry Jr. and Cora, cuz they're my favorite dynamic to write at the moment. Followed closely by Emma and Ruby and Emma and Regina. Can't decide which of those I like more. Meh. But keep the reviews coming! I'm aiming for triple digits, my friends!**

Regina was roused from dreams of swinging hips and green eyes by a soft tapping on her door. She lifted her head from the pillows, clearing her throat to call, "Come in."

The door opened and a small head of brown hair peeked around it. "Good morning, Miss Mills," Henry said politely.

"Good morning, Henry. And you may call me Regina, dear."

He shuffled a little farther into the room, biting his lip. "Oh, okay, Regina. I was-uh. Well I was supposed to ride to work with your mom, but she's asleep with sunglasses and earmuffs on, so I don't think she's going in until later. But I have a lot of stuff to do today. I'm reorganizing the filing closet. But I also sort of need to stop at my house to get some stuff I forgot. So...I mean, if it's not too much of a bother, could you give me a ride?" He rambled to a halt, then took a breath and plunged on. "My mom doesn't like me walking to work this early in the day. But I could call Uncle David. He went home when you guys got back, you know, but he could-"

"Henry," Regina interrupted softly. "I'll drive you. Give me just a few minutes to get dressed, okay?" She smiled when his face lit up. He nodded vigorously, then shut the door. She heard his footsteps hurrying down the stairs.

When she was dressed and had brushed her hair and teeth, she joined him in the front hallway. He led the way out of the house and to the car, waiting patiently for her to unlock it so he could open her door for her. Once he was settled into the passenger seat of her black Mercedes, he put his seatbelt on and grinned up at her, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. She turned the car on and backed out of the driveway, feeling his stare the whole time. Once they were on the road, he spoke.

"How come you haven't been in Storybrooke since you were little?"

She glanced at him, noting the little furrow of curiosity between his eyebrows. "Did my mother tell you that?"

Henry nodded. "I asked her why I've never met you before. She said you moved away when you were about my age and you've only been back a few times since."

Regina bit her lip, slowing as they waited for an old woman to cross the street. "That's true. I went to boarding school when I was eleven. I chose to stay at school during the holidays and I spent the summers taking extra classes."

"Sort of like an all-year around Hogwarts?"

Her laugh echoed in the car. "Something like that. As soon as I graduated I moved and went to college. Harvard." She saw his eyes widen and smiled. "I got my degree from there, then went to study abroad for a few years. Then I returned home, joined my firm, and became partner fairly quickly. There was never really time to come home. I barely had time to call. I stayed in touch with my friend, Kathryn, but only because she pushed to remain in touch." She turned onto Main Street, frowning. "My mother called last year and asked me to come home to take care of my father. It took me a full year to finish up at my firm. I am technically retired, but I still hold an interest in the company. And I will still be getting a few checks."

He laughed as she wiggled her eyebrows and rubbed her hands together playfully. "Well, I wish you would have come home more. I would have liked to meet you sooner."

"Quite the little charmer, you are."

"It's a gift."

They sat in silence for a few moments, then she said, "Your family seems quite close to mine. How come I haven't heard of you before now?"

Henry thought about it for a moment, chewing on the corner of his lip. "I don't know. I asked Pops that too. I mean, I've heard a lot about you from your parents, but I guess you didn't hear anything about me until you moved here, huh?" When she nodded, he continued. "But I think that's something you'd better ask my mom." He quickly changed the subject, directing her to turn at the next stop sign.

She slowed when he pointed out his house. The driveway was already full, Emma's yellow bug blocked in by a little green sedan, a dark blue van, and a black truck. She parked on the curb, frowning at the assortment of vehicles. "How many people live with you, Henry?"

He followed her gaze, smirking. "Just Aunt Ruby and Mom. But when they go out, Mom always makes everyone come and stay at our house. She feels safer that way. Sheriff's not a job, it's a way of life." The boy hurried out of the car and around the hood end to open her door for her.

She followed him to the house, eyeing the simple style. She liked how inviting the little home was, with its wrap-around porch, complete with swinging bench. Henry fumbled with his keys for a few seconds, then got the door open.

The inside of the house was nice as well. She stepped straight into the kitchen, which led into the living room. A staircase sat in the corner, leading up to the second floor. To her left was the open doors to what she assumed was an office, with a desk and a small couch. It was small, but it had character.

And a lot of guests.

The brunette she'd first seen Emma dancing with the night before, Belle, was asleep on the office couch, curled up with a sweet smile on her face. Mulan was asleep on the living room couch, sitting up with her arms crossed and her head leaned back. Aurora, one of the redheads Regina hadn't really met, was laid out beside her, her head on the deputy's thigh. Ruby was passed out on the love seat, her arms thrown haphazardly over her head. Ariel had crawled into the armchair and was wrapped tightly in a blanket. And Tink was face down on the kitchen table, a puddle of drool nearly dried against her cheek.

Henry paid no mind to the women scattered about his house. Instead, he motioned for Regina to follow him upstairs. She did, trying not to wake the slumbering group as they passed.

Upstairs she found herself in a hallway that split both directions. To the left, she could see an open door. Inside was a messy room with red walls and carpet. By the large belly she could see in the bed, she knew Mary Margaret was there. Next door to the red room was a small bathroom, then Henry's room. He led her into it, but she stopped in the doorway.

His room was very clean for a twelve year old boy. The desk was organized and the floor was clear of dirty clothes. Instead of posters of bands or sports teams on the walls, he had maps of places called "Prydain" and "Westeros". He had quite a collection of dreamcatchers, bordering the room's walls.

The sisters, Anna and Elsa, were asleep in Henry's bed, back to back. Henry didn't comment, but she saw him blush when he glanced at the redhead sleeping on the edge. He quickly gathered his backpack, shoved a few more things into it, and shooed her out, closing the door. "Just a few more things to grab from Mom's room. Come on."

She wanted to tell him no, feeling like she'd already seen far too much of the house, but he slipped down to the far right end of the hall and she trailed after him, running her gaze over the pictures on the walls. There were pictures of Henry when he was little, of him and Ruby playing basketball in the driveway, of Emma holding a snowboard and making a face at the camera.

Henry opened the door to the master bedroom without pausing, hurrying inside. She slowed just outside the threshold, unsure if she wanted to look in. It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know if Henry's father was still in the picture or if Emma was with anyone else. A part of her didn't want to look in and find the blonde in bed with someone, but she peeked in anyways, ready to step back out.

She was surprised to find the room very clean. Like Henry's room, there were no clothes on the floor, like she'd expected, no boots lying about. The top of the dresser was clear of everything except Emma's badge and a single framed photo of Henry and Ruby. There were more pictures on the walls, but none on the bedside table. Emma's wallet sat there, beside what looked like a leather bootlace, a set of keys, and Emma's phone.

And Emma herself was fast asleep in bed, on her stomach, with her arms wrapped around the pillow and her mane of hair burying her face. One leg stuck out from under the covers, clad in a bright orange sock. Her tanktop was twisted, showing off the lines of script across her left shoulder blade. Regina let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding when she saw Emma was alone.

Henry crossed the room to the closet, disappearing into it. Regina stood in the doorway for a few moments, not sure if she should enter. But her curiosity pulled her in, drawing her the few steps to the foot of the bed. She squinted at the blonde's tattoo, trying to read it.

"It's from a book."

It took all of her self control not to jump when Henry stepped back into the room, smiling. She glared at him, motioning with her hand for him to keep his voice down. He just chuckled.

"She needs to get up anyway." He flicked a hand at the tattoo, repeating, "It's from a book." When she didn't respond, still frowning, he said, "The tattoo you were trying to read. It's from a book she read to me when I was little. It says, 'I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.'"

Now that he said it, she could make out the loopy letters. "That's very sweet, actually." She was surprised how soft the words came out. She cleared her throat and stepped back, clasping her hands in front of her.

Henry nodded, smiling.

Suddenly, Emma stirred, rolling to her back and sitting up all in one motion. Her eyes were still closed as she ran her hands through her wild hair, then reached for the bedside table, fumbling with the drawer. Henry stepped forward and opened it for her, reaching in and pulling out a set of square-rimmed glasses. He placed them in Emma's hand and she slid them on, yawning. Only then did she open her eyes, blinking them against the sunlight pouring through the windows. Her shoulders rolled forward, stiffening as she stretched her back and smiled sleepily at them. A pale hand pushed the glasses back up her nose where they had slid down.

It was probably the most adorable Regina had ever seen a woman be. She quickly shoved the thought away.

"Morning, Hen. And Regina. This is a surprise."

"Regina's giving me a ride to work, Mom."

Emma's smile grew as she looked at the brunette standing primly at the foot of her bed. "That's really nice of you. Thank you."

Regina nodded curtly. "It's no problem. My mother isn't up to work yet, as it were. After her fourth 'Blood Clot' last night, I should have known that would be the case."

The blonde grabbed her cell phone, tossing it to the bottom of the bed. "Here, put your number in there and I'll text you. That way you have my number if you ever need anything. I owe you one."

Regina hesitated, then picked up the phone. "It really isn't a problem." She glanced down at the background, smiling as she saw the picture of Ruby and Henry in a swimming pool, dunking Emma. She pulled up the keypad, punched in her number, and handed it back to Emma to save.

"Oh, you didn't put your name. I love that. Now I can name you whatever I want."

The brunette's eyes narrowed. "I've changed my mind. Erase the number. You can't have it."

"No, no, no. Too late. Mine now."

"Miss Swan, I do not give my number to children. Give me that phone."

"How about Snuggle Bunny? Gummy Bear? Wait, Honey Badger. That's it."

"Seriously, how old are you?"

Henry couldn't keep the smile from his face as he watched Emma hide her phone beneath the pillows and Regina stand over her, demanding it back. It seemed Cora had been right. Operation Hero and Leander was on track.

When Regina finally dropped off Henry, and a sleepy Aurora who had woken as they were leaving and asked for a ride, she felt her phone vibrate. She put the car in park, opening the text message.

"_So, was that a 'yes' to Snuggle Bunny? I'm more partial to Gummy Bear._"

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips turned up. She slid the phone open to reply. "_You may put 'Regina'. If I ever see my name as anything else in your phone, I will break it._"

Emma's response was exactly what she expected. "_Right, so don't let you ever see my phone again. Gotcha._" Before she could reply, another text popped up. "_On a more serious note, thanks again for giving Hen a ride._"

"_Like I said, it's nothing._"

She realized she'd been sitting in her running car for a few minutes, doing nothing. She put the phone down, about to pull away from the curb, but it buzzed again. After a moment, she opened the message, telling herself it was the last.

"_So what about me? I think Snuggle Bunny would be appropriate._"

Regina rolled her eyes again, smiling despite herself. "_I was thinking more along the lines of Vizzini, because you are so annoying this morning._"

"_Inconceivable!_"

Emma's quick response made her genuinely laugh. She put the phone down, forcing her attention back to the road.

XXXXXXX

Emma forced herself to quit texting and get dressed for the day. Her living room was still full of sleeping women, so she quietly grabbed some lunch and hurried out. But her car was stuck in the garage, blocked in by all the other vehicles in her driveway. So she went back inside, took Tink's keys from the snoring woman, and taped a quick note to the Aleve bottle she'd set out on the island: _Tink, took your car, 'cause mine is blocked in. Once you've sobered up, bring mine to the station so we can switch out. -Em._

She spent the day doing paperwork and finally programming the new locks on the cells. Around lunch time, she heard her phone buzzing. She picked it up, expecting a text. Instead, Dusty's number flashed across the screen and she frowned, then answered. "Sheriff Swan."

"Hey, Emma." Dusty's voice sounded tired. "I got the results back."

"What's the verdict?"

"Definitely intentional. Somebody set this fire."

Her worst fears confirmed, she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Go on."

"Well I looked again at the patterns, ran some tests, looked at the video. Looks like you've got a lacquer fire here."

"A what?"

Dusty sighed and she heard him moving around on his end. "It means somebody started the fire with lacquer."

"What? Like for wood?"

"Yep. Lacquer's a wood finish that dries and produces a hard, durable coat. The kind used was an 'ultra matte' kind. I found a sample of what I think was a dish rag. It looks like your guy soaked it in the lacquer, set it on fire, and dropped it through the window."

Emma bit her lip, trying not to sigh again. "So..."

"So it could have come from anywhere. A shop, a garage, a house being painted. It could have been stolen." Dusty trailed off.

"So I'm still standing at the drawing board."

"Bingo, boss. Sorry I don't have much more for you."

"It's all good, Dust. Thanks a lot."

"No prob. Good luck."

She hung up, suddenly feeling far less cheerful than when she'd woken up. When David arrived for his shift, she filled him in and took off early, just wanting to go home and rest. Henry was sleeping at Roland's, so she thought tonight would be a good night to roam the house in her underwear, drinking straight from the carton, and watching the Megalodon mockumentary. She drove Tink's little green car home, parking it on the street so it wasn't blocking her bug in again.

Despite her high hopes for the night, Ruby, Belle, Tink, and Mulan were still there, sitting around the table, playing cards. Mulan had a small pile of bills in front of her. Belle was staring very hard at her cards and, surprisingly, had the largest amount of money in front of her. Ruby was trying to sneak a peek at Tink's cards without anyone noticing, and Tink was nursing a glass of water, wearing sunglasses.

Emma dropped Tink's keys on the kitchen island. "Hey, Tink, what the hell? I thought we were supposed to switch cars."

Tink turned her head slowly to look at the sheriff, gingerly adjusting her thick sunglasses with just her middle finger. "You said when I sobered up. I'm still working on that. I'd thank you to keep your voice down."

"How was work?" Mulan asked.

Emma shook her head, dropping to sit between Ruby and Belle. She pulled her wallet out, tapping it on the table, and Mulan dealt her in. "Not great. Dusty called." She relayed the phone conversation.

When she finished, Belle looked worried, Ruby looked thoughtful, and Mulan's expression was as stoic as ever. "Well," Mulan said. "Should we start by questioning shop owners?"

"Yeah. I'll question Leroy tomorrow. His shop's the most likely place someone would buy lacquer from. But like Dusty said, it could have come from anywhere."

Ruby crossed her arms, tapping the fingers of her right hand against her left arm restlessly. "So maybe you should question Jefferson and Grace again."

Emma nodded. "I'll do that too." She glanced at her cards, then flipped them up on the table. "A pair. Crap."

Ruby sighed. "Right there with ya, bud."

Mulan revealed her four of kind, shrugging. Tink's grin was accompanied by a little cackle. "Heh, heh! A straight flush of clubs, baby! Beat that, bookworm!"

Belle just looked at her hand for a few moments and Tink, assuming she'd won, reached for the pot. Then, "What's it when you have the ten and the 'A', 'K', 'Q', and 'J'-all with hearts on them?" And Belle set down a Royal flush.

There was a collection of groans around the table as Ruby laughed, sliding the money to Belle.

As Tink shuffled for the next round, Emma pulled out her phone, glancing at the texts she'd exchanged with Regina that morning. She tapped her finger against her phone case, biting her lip. The first card landed in front of her. As Tink made the rounds, dealing, Emma quickly typed a message: "_So, Gummy Bear, how was your day?_"

XXXXXXX

Over the next few days, Regina was seeing Emma around nearly everywhere she went.

Monday morning, she passed the park while bringing her father to a doctor's appointment and saw the sheriff racing Ruby around the lake. Then she stopped at the gas station when they left the hospital and she noticed Emma across the street, carrying shopping bags for a waddling Mary Margaret. And later that evening, she saw Emma on a ladder outside a shop, rehanging the shop's sign.

Tuesday, Regina was sitting in the diner, enjoying a cup of coffee with Cora when she saw the blonde. She had glanced up from her novel to see the tall woman sitting on the sidewalk with a little girl of maybe four. The girl's face was streaked with tears and she was clutching tight to what looked like a stuffed lizard. Her knees, poking out from her little purple dress, were bloody. Emma was talking animatedly to her, moving her hands about and making exaggerated facial expressions. Then she pulled a box of band-aids from her jacket and the little girl smiled, nodding. Regina watched as the sheriff cleaned the girl's knees, put band-aids on them, then scooped her up and handed her off to the smiling woman beside her. Cora, unfortunately, caught her staring and spent the rest of the day with a too-wide grin on her face.

Wednesday, she stopped at the library to browse and saw Henry out the window. He was standing across the street, outside Granny's Diner, looking at his watch. He looked up, frowning, like he'd heard something. Suddenly, a flash of red leather bolted into view, racing past him. Emma yelled something over her shoulder, and without so much as a questioning look, Henry high-tailed it after her. A moment later, Ruby sprinted past, answering Regina's question of what they were running from.

Though they hadn't gotten a chance to talk since Sunday morning, Regina found herself texting the woman each night. Emma was always the first to text her, usually just a quick, "_Had a good day?_" or "_How's Pops?_", but no matter what Regina replied, Emma struck up a conversation that lasted hours. So Wednesday night, she was sitting on the couch with her parents, only half-watching whatever movie they had on. Emma had just sent her a long, elaborate text about a cat stuck in a tree and how she nearly died getting it out-which actually meant she almost fell out of the tree when the cat leapt away, saving itself from the tree and the sheriff. She suppressed a laugh by biting her bottom lip.

"Anything you want to share with the class?" Cora's voice startled her. She'd nearly forgotten her parents were there.

"Not really," Regina replied, tucking her phone away from her mother's roaming eyes.

"You've been texting an awful lot lately, darling."

Regina shrugged, staring at the movie and having no idea what was happening on screen.

"May I ask who has you so talkative?"

"You may ask," Regina said. "But I won't answer."

"Come now," Cora cooed. She leaned closer, batting her eyelashes. "You can tell me. Is it someone I know? Is she good-looking? Smart? Funny?"

Regina shifted away from her mother, pursing her lips to hide her smile. "Mother, please. You sound like an old lesbian."

Cora's horrified gasp was a bit too dramatic to be real. "Henry! Did you hear what your daughter called me?"

Henry Sr. grunted around his mug. "I did. Regina, your mother isn't a lesbian."

"Thank you, Hen-hey! I'm not old either!"

This set Regina and her father off laughing. Cora grabbed a throw pillow and smacked them both soundly, only succeeding in making them laugh harder. When the last of their chuckling died away, Cora shot a glance at her daughter. Regina looked back at her, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I just remembered. I have some papers that need to be delivered to the Sheriff station. Could you bring them down there for me?"

Regina's other eyebrow joined its twin. "It's freezing outside. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not. I completely forgot after that budget meeting today." Cora sighed deeply, sinking farther into the couch. "It's just down the road, darling. Please?"

Regina knew her mother's innocent smile was fake, but she didn't fight. She told herself she didn't mind because it would only take a few minutes. The fact that Emma hadn't texted her back yet had nothing to do with it. So she bundled up, took the folder from her mother, and hurried out to her car, shivering before she even unlocked the doors. She had to wait a few moments for the car to heat up so the her hands wouldn't flash freeze to the wheel. When her breath stopped fogging in front of her face, she pulled out of the driveway.

The drive was indeed very quick. She parked on the curb and hurried into the Sheriff's Office, sighing as the warmth of the building surrounded her. Following the hall, she found herself in a small office area beside two large cells. The open part held cluttered desks that she guessed were for the deputies. The last desk was surrounded by windowed walls, a door leading to the cells and one to the hall. The one to the hall was open and she stepped in, assuming this would be Emma's desk. "Hello?" she called, looking back down the hallway. When she got no answer, she placed the file on Emma's desk and turned to leave. But the pictures on the walls caught her attention.

There was a picture of Mulan, staring off to the side with her mouth open like she'd been saying something. In the background, Mary Margaret was waving with a goofy grin. One was of Henry pretending to punch David as the older man squeezed his eyes closed, leaning away. Next to it was one of Tink screaming at the T.V. Then one of Belle reading in a booth at the diner. One of Henry and a curly-haired brunette boy eating ice cream. A picture of Ruby standing on a table, air-guitaring. There were pictures of people she didn't know, doing random things or posing with goofy faces. Another was of her own mother and father. Cora was cross-eyed and slack-jawed and Henry Sr. was caught mid-eye roll. She snorted, debating snapping a picture on her phone. But the picture that really caught her eye was the one in the center. It was a picture of Emma and Henry, each of them tucked under the arm of a good looking man. He was tall with light brown hair and eyes. His scruffy beard contrasted his nice button up, suit vest, and tie. On his chest was a Sheriff's badge and on his face was a crooked grin. Henry was laughing, his eyes closed when the picture was taken. Emma's head was leaned into the man's shoulder, her grin wide.

Regina forced herself to look away from the handsome face. She didn't miss the fact that Emma wasn't in any of the other pictures. She didn't know why that caught her attention, but she shook her head of the thought and made her exit.

She paused in the hallway when she heard the softest strains of music. Retracing her steps down the hall, she followed where it branched off towards the back of the building. The back door was ajar, an extension cord running through the opening and plugging into the wall nearby. Regina inched forward, the music getting louder and the sound of sloshing water reaching her. She pushed the door open a bit more, sticking her head out just enough to see into the back yard. The extension cord was connected to a large spot light, illuminating the frost coated grass.

There was Emma, sitting on a low stool, with a bucket between her feet. Bottles of carpet cleaner and laundry detergent were scattered about. A tarp was spread out a few feet from the sheriff, several soggy, oddly-shaped objects lined up on it. The blonde's breath misted in the air, but she seemed otherwise unaffected by the cold. The sleeves of her baggy sweater were rolled up, her beanie pulled low on her forehead. And she was holding a hard-bristled brush and a teddy bear.

Even if Regina hadn't recognized it, she could see the soot stains and blackened bits of fur from the doorway.

The radio behind Emma's chair played soft music and the blonde hummed along, scrubbing at the stuffed toy in her hands. She dunked the brush in the bucket, covering it in suds, then resumed cleaning. Her eyes flickered up to the rest of the toys on the tarp, then went back to the brush.

Regina didn't remember moving her hand to her chest, but she felt her own heart skipping beneath her fingers. Her stomach erupted with butterflies, loosening from the knot she hadn't realized it was in. She stared for a few more minutes, carefully keeping quiet. Then she turned and hurried from the station, barely aware of the grin that had appeared on her face.

**Kailor: Ahhhhh, reviews are appreciated! Loved, even! And thank you for all I've gotten so far and for the PMs you've sent. They are inspiring, to say the least. Hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Kailor: Thank you all so much for the reviews and messages! I'm glad you're enjoying the characters, because I am having a blast writing this. Disclaimer: I don't own Once or Disney or anything that would be hella fun to play with. Sadness...**

"So, what do you think of our sheriff?"

Regina looked up from sorting her father's medications, blinking over the kitchen counter at her mother. "I'm sorry?"

"Emma." Cora made a gesture that looked strangely like an hourglass. "Emma Swan. Sheriff. Mother of that adorable boy named after your father. The one you've been texting every night. The blonde you danced with at the Anne-Marie."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "She's nice."

The older woman threw her hands in the air, flopping onto one of the kitchen chairs. "She's 'nice'? Come on!"

The kitchen door opened and Kathryn swept in, nibbling on a muffin from Granny's. "What'd I miss?"

"Regina said Emma's 'nice'."

Kathryn snorted and pulled out her phone, opening her messages. "This text you sent me last night sure seemed more than 'nice'."

Regina gasped in betrayal as her mother leapt back to her feet. Cora hurried to Kathryn's side, grabbing for the phone the blonde was holding. Her eyes lit up as soon as she read the first line and she cleared her throat, reading out loud. "'Kat, is this woman even real?'"

Medicines forgotten, Regina rushed her mother, intent on tackling her and taking the phone back. Kathryn leapt on her friend, holding her back. Bits of muffin sprayed the kitchen floor, but she had no time to mourn her breakfast as Regina managed to snag her mother's robed shoulder.

Cora held the phone farther away, squinting as she continued reading in a dramatic, overly-romantic voice. "'I just saw Emma behind the sheriff's station, scrubbing clean the toys that were caught in that fire. It's freezing out here, but she is elbow deep in a bucket of soapy water.'" Somehow, the way she read it made it all seem very stupid and dreamy. As she continued, her voice rose, overriding Regina's loud protests and Kathryn's laughter. "'She's gorgeous, she's a great mother from what I've seen, and my parents genuinely like her. What luck is it that a woman like that would be right here in my home town while I was off at school?'"

Kathryn's feet caught on Regina's legs and they tumbled to the floor, pulling Cora with them. Their shrieks brought Henry Sr. hobbling into the room, but he paused in the doorway, staring at the three women wrestling at his feet. Cora was now screaming the text. "'Seriously, Kat. I don't know what to make of her. I've only known her a few days and I get butterflies'!"

"Give me the phone!" Regina snarled, crawling over her friend to snatch the device from her mother. Cora dropped the phone, done reading, and attempted to cover her face as her daughter smacked at her. Regina's ire did nothing to stop her laughter or to save Kathryn from getting squished.

Henry Sr. just shook his head, turning from the room to go back to his nap on the couch.

XXXXXXX

Ruby felt the couch sag as Emma sat at the other end. She didn't look up from the T.V. A few moments of silence passed, then Emma pretended to lift up to fix her tanktop, shifting a bit closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the sheriff twiddling her thumbs in her lap. Emma moved again, closing the distance between them. Ruby narrowed her eyes, shooting a glance at her friend's face. Emma's eyes were on the television, but her lips were pursed, like she was trying not to smile. The third time Emma moved, now within touching distance, Ruby said, "What are you doing?"

The blonde launched herself the last foot between them, landing heavily on top of her roommate. "Rubyyyyy," she drawled. "Tell me who you likeeeee."

"No! I'm not telling you! Emma!" But the blonde had gone limp, turning into dead weight holding her down. "I thought I told you I'm NOT telling you until I'm ready!"

"But you're taking so long to be ready, Rubes. We're curious."

"We're?"

"Yeah," Henry's voice piped up from the stairs. "We're curious. Tell us, Aunt Ruby!"

Using her legs, Ruby arched off the couch, sending Emma sprawling to the floor, then leapt over her, moving into the kitchen and putting the island between herself and the Swans. "I'm not telling you. I'm not ready yet." She tried to sound angry, but she'd known they wouldn't let it go the second she'd rolled out of the hedges of 108 with Emma. She grinned to let them know she didn't mean it when she said, "Keep pushing it and I'm moving out."

Emma's puppy-who-just-got-kicked eyes came out in full force. "You can't! Who would make you pancakes when you feel bad? Who would remind you when you have doctor's appointments? Who will make sure your laundry gets moved over when you forget about it?"

Ruby pretended to contemplate it. "Good point. I'm taking Henry with me then."

"But then who will do all that for me?" Emma cried, grabbing her son close.

The brunette laughed, shaking her head. "Then stop asking me. However..." Emma and Henry froze, ears perked up. "I will give you one hint every week. On one condition." It was amusing how quickly they could leap to attention. "You stop following me around. It's a little creepy. I mean, what if I'm flirting with them and you two are across the street decked out like secret service? You'll run them off before I can even confess."

Henry and Emma exchanged a look, communicating through raised eyebrows and shoulders for a few seconds. Then they turned back to her. "We accept," they chorused.

"Good." Ruby crossed her arms on the island. "Then here's your hint of the week." She waited for them to lean in close. She paused for a breath, realizing they were holding theirs. "They live in Storybrooke."

"Oh, come on!" Emma exclaimed. Henry dropped his head to the counter, sighing deeply. Ruby just laughed, rounding the island to hug them both.

"You'll get a better hint next week."

XXXXXXX

When Regina had gathered herself from the floor, leaving her mother and best friend to clamber to their feet on their own, she moved back to the pills scattered on the counter. She inconspicuously checked her reflection in the toaster, annoyed to find her cheeks red. The kitchen chairs scraped the floor as Cora and Kathryn took them. Kathryn was working her jaw where someone had elbowed her. Cora was rubbing her elbow and grimacing. "So-" she started.

"Fine!" Regina snapped, spinning on them. "Yes, I find Miss Swan attractive and humorous. Yes, she seems to be a good mother and a good sheriff. And yes, I feel a bit like a teenager around her. But there's no point in dwelling on it, because she's straight and I barely know her anyways. I'm sure all the things I've seen her do are hiding some deep, dark secret. And I thought telling my _best friend-_" she growled out the words, "-something in private would be fine, but now I know differently. I won't be telling either of you anything ever again." She turned back to the medicines, sorting them by day of the week and fuming in silence.

Cora's face had split into a grin. Kathryn recovered from the verbal lashing first. "Emma's not straight."

Regina's hand stilled on the medicines.

Kathryn pushed on, returning Cora's grin. "Emma isn't straight, Reggie."

The brunette shot her a glare. "I told you not to call me that."

Kathryn ignored her. "Emma's into women. Can't you tell by the flannel and jeggings? The leather? The gentlemanly charm?"

Regina turned, leaning her hip on the counter and crossing her arms. "Quit messing with me, Kathryn."

"I'm not! Mom, help!"

Cora was nodding happily. "It's true, darling. She was with a man for a while, which is how we got Henry, obviously. But she hasn't been with a man since then. She did, however, date Elsa for a bit. But they broke up because they were too much like sisters." Her nose wrinkled up. "It was actually very strange. And super weird for Henry, because he has a crush on Anna, Elsa's actual sister, and-"

"There was also what's-her-face," Kathryn cut in. "I can't remember her real name. We just called her Thirteen."

"But she moved away. Went off and became a doctor or something," Cora added. "And-"

"Okay, okay." Regina waved for her mother to stop. "So she dated a woman or two. That doesn't mean-"

"Ah, shut up." Kathryn slid down in her seat, smirking. "Even if she isn't gay, you could convert the entire convent down the road if you wanted to." She paused, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Maybe not all of them. Mother Superior's a total tight-ass. But, point is, Emma would be sexy putty in your own personal play-doh set if you wanted her to be."

"Elegant analogy," Regina said dryly.

"Speaking of which, I came here to talk about Sheriff Swan, actually." Kathryn grinned. "I was chatting with Ruby this morning and she said to invite the two of you and Dad to Emma's birthday party. Emma doesn't know about it yet, so mum's the word. But it's Saturday at their house. Granny's barbecuing."

Cora clapped her hands like a child. "Oooh, yes. Granny is a goddess on a grill." And her eyes slid out of focus, her lips turning up in a blissful grin.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I guess I can go. Better than sitting home alone while my parents are out partying."

"Perfect, because Ruby asked for another favor from you."

"From me?" Regina said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She heard from Archie that you were talking to Marco about buying a desk from his shop and-"

Regina's jaw dropped. "What is with small towns? I can't even talk about furniture without someone telling the rest of the town about it!"

Kathryn continued as if she hadn't heard her. "And Marco has that broken hand right now, so he wouldn't be able to come over and build it. However." She held up a finger. "I have it on good authority that one, Miss Emma Swan, is free Saturday morning AND can build stuff."

By the look on Kathryn's face, Regina could tell she wasn't acting as excited as expected. "So, you want me to ask Miss Swan over to build my new desk, that I wasn't even sure I was going to buy yet, so you can get her party set up?"

"Not me," Kathryn pouted. "Ruby asked. I'm just the messenger."

Cora stood, touching her daughter's arm. "Dear, it's just a favor. Not a date." Her grin suddenly turned evil. "Though, that could be fixed quite easily. Just text her, 'Dear Emma, I bought a new desk, but it needs to be built. Could you come over and do a bit of screwing, drilling, and nailing?'"

"Mother!" Regina gasped, snatching her arm from the woman while Kathryn cackled, clutching her ribs.

"Tell her you need something hammered," Cora continued. Kathryn's laughter turned to snorts. Regina covered her face with her hands, wishing she could melt into the floor. Her mother suddenly gasped. "Wait! No! Tell her you tried to do it yourself, but-"

"No. Stop. Do not finish that sentence." Regina pushed past her, hurrying up the stairs to escape Kathryn's laughter and her mother's innuendos.

"Does that mean you'll do it, dear?" Cora yelled after her.

"Fine!" Regina shouted back, her feet pounding down the hallway.

Kathryn wiped her eyes, still chuckling. "Man, I am so in love with this family."

XXXXXXX

Henry waited until he heard the shower up before grabbing his phone and sending a quick text to Cora. "_So did Kathryn come by?_"

Cora didn't reply for a while. He had just finished watching a documentary on Tolkien's "Middle Earth" when his phone began to ring. He rolled his eyes as "Stacy's Mom" rang through the room. He really needed to learn to keep track of his phone when he was at work. He answered. "Hello."

"She's here now, dear. In the other room."

Henry glanced at the bathroom door, making sure his mother was still inside. "Did she ask about the desk thing?"

"She did. She said Ruby asked her about it."

"Ruby did. I put the idea in her head though. I made sure she overheard me talking to Archie about it."

"You're a little sneak." Cora's deep laugh echoed over the phone. "She agreed."

"Perfect. See you Saturday morning. Gotta go." He hung up as Emma opened the bathroom door and stepped out, wearing only a towel.

"Who was that?" Emma asked, grabbing a root beer from the fridge and digging around for her bottle opener.

"Mrs. Mills," Henry said, knowing his mother was good at catching him in lies. "She said Regina may be asking you for a favor soon."

Emma gave a nonchalant grunt.

"Yeah. She's buying a desk from Marco, but he can't put it together for her. Mrs. Mills told her you could probably do it." Henry kept his eyes on the T.V.

Emma returned to the couch, sipping her root beer. "I could do that."

"Well, I'm sure she'll ask you about it. I was just mentioning it." Inside he was doing a happy dance.

The blonde dropped beside him, crossing her ankles on the coffee table.

Henry glanced at her. "Don't you want to get dressed?"

She took another long sip from her bottle, looking him dead in the eye. "Nope."

For a few moments, neither of them moved. Then Henry sighed, grabbing his backpack. "Going to Roland's. Later."

"Later, kid. Love you."

"Love you too, weirdo."

Emma grabbed the remote with a grin of triumph.

XXXXXXX

The door opened and Regina appeared, one hand smoothing her hair. "Emma. You're early."

Emma grinned, hefting the toolbelt she had over her shoulder. "Early's on time. On time's late." Regina stepped aside, letting her in. She closed the door and they stood awkwardly in the hallway for a few seconds.

Regina cleared her throat, motioning towards the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, no. I'm good, thanks. Brought my own." Emma tapped the toolbelt and Regina heard the clink of glass against glass. She frowned.

"Alcohol, Miss Swan? Aren't you here to do a job?"

Emma's brow furrowed for a moment, then smoothed, her lips breaking into a grin. "No, no." She pulled a bottle from the belt, turning the label so Regina could see. "Root beer. I don't drink."

"At all?"

"At all." Emma nodded. Before Regina could ask more, she headed off down the hallway. "Is the desk already in your room?"

The brunette followed her. "Actually it's still in the garage. Marco couldn't carry it in with his hand and I couldn't lift it by myself. The garage door is this-"

But Emma had already turned through the kitchen and bee-lined to the garage door. It threw Regina off that Emma seemed so comfortable in her house, but she shook her head, hurrying to catch up. The blonde was already in the garage, looking at the two long boxes leaning against the wall. "A desk and a hutch, huh? Nice. Can you carry this?" She thrust the toolbelt at Regina.

She took it, surprised how heavy it was.

Emma stacked the desk and hutch boxes against each other and tilted them forward. She dipped down, letting them fall across her shoulder, and stood, taking a few steps to balance.

Regina couldn't help but eye the ripple of muscle in the blonde's arms, forgetting for a moment how large the boxes were. "Oh, Emma, I could help-"

"You can open the doors and make sure I don't knock anything with these," Emma said, her voice a bit lower than normal. She jerked her head at the garage door. Regina hurried to push it fully open and the blonde passed her, making her way to the stairs and up them, right to Regina's room. Again, Regina found it a bit weird, but she just edged past the other woman to open her door and stepped back.

Emma dropped the boxes on Regina's bed, rolling her shoulder. Regina wasn't surprised when the sheriff pulled a knife from her pocket and flipped it open with practiced ease. Emma paused. "Do you have a bottle opener? For my root beer? Forgot mine at home."

Regina bobbed a quick nod and left the room. When she returned, her feet stopped in the doorway without her permission.

Emma had removed the long-sleeved, button up she'd had on, leaving her in a thin, gray tanktop. Her hair was tied back at the nape of her neck. The box was open and the blonde was seated on the floor, looking at the instructions and chewing on her lower lip. Regina forced her eyes away from the white, sharp-looking teeth. "Bottle opener," she said, immediately feeling like an idiot as she held the opener out to Emma.

Dropping the instructions, Emma grabbed one of her root beers from the toolbelt and popped it open with a simple flick of her wrist. She handed the opener back to Regina, then turned her attention to the instructions again. "This must be written in some weird language, because my brain is not processing a single bit of it." For comical effect, she turned the instructions upside down. "Maybe Archi."

"Is Archi actually a language?"

"It is. On the edge of the Caspian Sea in southern Russia is a small village called Archib and they speak it there. It's pretty similar to Avar and Lak-two other languages from that area."

Regina blinked, taken aback. "How in the world do you know that?"

Emma flashed her a smile over the instruction book. "I'm just full of surprises, babe."

Ignoring the pet name, Regina sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs and smoothing her dress pants. She watched in silence for a while as Emma glared at the instructions. Finally, the blonde seemed to realize what was going on and began picking up pieces of wood and turning them over in her hands, finding the little stickers that labelled them. With quick movements and lots of flickering around of green eyes, she stacked the boards in an organized pile. Then she reached behind her and produced a strip of packages, all labelled with which step they were for, and filled with screws and lag screws. Regina thought it looked like a condom roll, but kept the uncharacteristically crass observation to herself. She found herself fascinated by the way Emma's hands danced over tools and boards, triple checking the instructions, before actually grabbing anything. She was thorough and quick, but was still struggling with the wording in the booklet.

"Screw it," she huffed. "I'm just going to look at the pictures and figure it out as I go. I'm supposed to be good at this stuff. Lesbian 101 said so."

Regina's eyes snapped to the blonde's face. Emma didn't notice, digging through her toolbelt for the right screwdriver. "Lesbian 101?" Regina questioned, hoping her voice actually sounded as steady as she thought it did.

Green eyes lifted to hers. "Yeah."

"So," Regina smoothed her pants again, despite knowing they were pristine. "You're gay?" Two words and she managed to make herself sound like an imbecile. Perfect.

But Emma just smiled. "I am."

"But...Henry-"

"Was an exception." Emma went back to the tools she'd spread out, her fingers skipped over the selection before settling on a phillips head. "His father was the only man I ever felt anything for. It was a bad relationship and tit's a long story, but I got Henry out of it so." She shrugged, like that was all the justification she needed. Regina didn't doubt that it was.

"Was that Henry's father in the picture in your office?" Regina said, without thinking. "The one in the center?"

Emma glanced up for only a moment from the boards she was attaching to each other. One of her eyebrows lifted in amusement. "Ah. So it was you that left those files on my desk last night?"

Regina flushed. She'd forgotten that she never made her presence known. "My mother said she forgot to give them to you and sent me. I noticed the pictures as I was leaving."

Emma nodded, rolling up to her knees to grab another board. Regina caught a flash of a dark blue bra before the blonde settled back on her heels. "No, that's not Henry's father. That was Graham. He was sheriff before me. A great guy."

"Ah." Regina watched the sheriff grab a handful of screws, sorting through them to find a fastener. "And is he..."

"Dead," Emma said, not looking up from the pieces in her palm. "Car accident a couple years ago."

"I'm sorry."

Emma shrugged, switching to a larger screwdriver. "It's okay. And before you ask, Henry's father isn't in the picture. At all." She coughed lightly. "So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, you have a 'baby daddy' anywhere? A boyfriend? Girlfriend? Special friend?"

Regina sniffed her distaste at Emma's choice of words. "No children to have a father of. And I am gay. And single. I haven't had much time for romance in my life." She looked away from the blonde, fingering the edges of her bedspread.

She heard the sheriff tinkering with whatever part of the desk she was on. Then, "Well, now that you're retired, maybe you can start looking."

In a town as small as Storybrooke, Regina was sure Emma would be her only option. Which she didn't mind as much as she felt she should, but she would never admit that.

As if reading her mind, Emma said, "There's a surprising number of women who like women here. Something about this northern air, I think." She chuckled. Standing and flipping up the section she'd been working on, she declared, "Tada! Left side of the desk done. Sort of. I still have to put in the drawer and put the back on. But the frame is done so...tada!"

Regina smirked as Emma eyed her handiwork, her hands proudly on her hips. Then she turned and dropped back to the floor, pulling the next few pieces close. Regina opened her mouth to ask what she was doing, but instead what came out was, "Why does your son have a room in my house?"

Emma stopped working, meeting her gaze. "Cora really didn't tell you much about Storybrooke, did she?"

Regina shook her head.

"Well, almost everyone knows everything here. So forgive me for finding it strange."

"We didn't talk much before I moved back home," Regina admitted. "I was constantly busy. Kathryn managed to find a few times to vacation at my place in New York, but my parents only visited once. And I only returned a few times for very short periods of time."

Emma's head bobbed up and down once. "I see. Well, Henry stayed here a lot when he was younger. Before I joined the sheriff's department, I worked as a bounty hunter for a few years. I spent more time than I wanted to in Boston, working. Henry stayed with my foster mom a lot, but he also stayed here a lot. Your parents really took a liking to him. Maybe because I named him after your dad." Her smile was swift and fleeting. "I hated leaving him, but the job paid really well and it suited me. So when Graham offered me a position as a deputy, I leapt on it. Bought my house. Ruby moved in. And that was it." She grabbed a long, thin board, eyeing it before flipping it over and connecting it to the largest part of the desk that would make up Regina's work space.

"Your foster mother?" Regina questioned carefully, wondering if she was overstepping.

"Granny." Emma paused for a sip of her root beer. Then she laughed. "We're really getting into the deep stuff today, aren't we? Maybe we should save some of this for the next date, yeah?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "First you called the trip to a burnt house a date, now this. Your ideas of dates are worrisome, dear."

Emma just laughed, standing up the section she'd just finished. "Poi-fect," she said in a strangled voice that made Regina chuckle. "Now you get to help me."

"Excuse me?" Regina said, lifting an eyebrow.

The blonde rummaged through her toolbelt, pulling out a flashlight. "You get to shine this under the desk while I connect these two parts." She offered the flashlight and a thumbs up, as if this were one of Regina's dreams coming true.

Regina grabbed the light, rolling her eyes. "Yippee," she muttered.

But when Emma slid the pieces together, then laid on her back to scoot beneath them, Regina's eyes flickered to the strip of exposed flesh between the blonde's tanktop and jeans. On Emma's right hip was another splash of ink. Her gaze moved to the other little tattoo on Emma's chest, right above her heart. "You have quite a few tattoos, I see."

Emma's green eyes reemerged from beneath the desk. "Oh, yeah." She brushed her fingertips over her hip tattoo.

"What's that one?" Regina asked, genuinely curious. She told herself it had nothing to do with the glimpse of abs she'd seen above the tattoo.

Her mouth went dry as Emma lifted her shirt to give her a better view, exposing very toned abs that rippled as she moved, propping herself on her elbow. But Regina forced herself to focus. The tattoo on the sheriff's hip was a small footprint, a perfect recreation of a child's foot. Beneath it read, "_10-19_". "Henry's first step," Emma explained quietly. Only then did Regina realize their faces were much closer than she'd expected. She leaned back a bit to allow room to breathe, which she had to force herself to remember how to do. The blonde didn't seem to notice. She pulled the collar of her tanktop to the side, showing the tattoo above her heart. "_Mom 9-2_". "His first word." She released the tanktop, letting it settle back into place. A crooked grin spread across her face. "I'm afraid you'll have to at least take me to dinner before you can see the rest." She dropped back onto her back, scooting under the desk.

Regina cursed internally as she felt her face heat up and knew she was blushing.

"Need light."

Remembering she was supposed to be doing something, Regina turned on the flashlight and aimed it under the desk, in the general direction of Emma's hands.

"Hmmm." Emma hummed thoughtfully. "Not working. Here." She shifted, her boots pushing against the plush carpet to move her long frame over. "Get down here." A pale hand patted the spot beside her.

"I was under the impression, Miss Swan, that you were here so that I could avoid this very circumstance."

"And I was under the impression you wanted this done. I could always just screw everything in blindly. But you have to let me video the first time you put anything on it and it buckles like Madea thought half of it belonged to her niece."

Regina frowned. "Is that some sort of pop culture reference?"

Emma's chuckle floated from under the desk. "Just get down here. I'll introduce you to Madea another day." Her hand patted the floor more forcefully.

With a deep sigh, Regina daintily slid to the floor and laid out beside the younger woman. Shuffling under the desk, she tried to get comfortable. Her right arm was pressed against Emma's left, making it difficult to relax. She struggled with where to put her hands for a few moments before settling with drapping her right over her stomach and resting her left on her chest, using it to point the flashlight at the bottom side of the hardwood. She glanced at the other woman, finding amused green eyes on her.

"Hi," Emma said, grinning goofily.

"Hello," Regina replied. "Don't you have something to be doing?"

Emma gave an approving hum as she lifted her long arms again, working the screws into place and tightening them. She dropped a screw and had to dig for it beneath her body, letting slip with a small curse that startled Regina more than anything else she'd learned that morning. "Was that Spanish?" she asked, staring at the blonde beside her.

"Yes?" Emma said, her crooked grin returning. "Your dad taught me a bit over the years. Henry knows way more than I do, but I can carry a conversation for a bit."

Regina bit her lip, a thought she'd had before returning. "Your family seems very close to mine."

Emma finished putting the last screw in, but she made no move to get out from under the desk. Instead, she folded her hands over her stomach, tapping the screwdriver against her hip. "We are. With your parents watching out for Henry when he was younger and all that, we would be. But your dad was a huge help when I went to jail. He spoke on my behalf and got them to lower the sentence. Then he was my parole officer when I got out, so I was in no hurry to disappoint him. It's thanks to him that I really got my stuff together."

"What happened? If you don't mind my asking." Regina flipped off the flashlight, letting it rest on her stomach.

Emma shrugged one shoulder. "I don't mind you asking. But remember when I said the story about Henry's dad is a story for another time? A long and unhappy story?" Regina nodded. "Well, same story. So we can talk about that a different day."

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, each quietly withdrawing into their own thoughts. Finally, Emma waved her screwdriver like a wand. "Almost done with the desk part. Maybe I'll make you put the cabinet doors on."

"Just when I thought we were getting to know each other," Regina sighed dramatically. "I am not touching any cabinet doors until they are firmly in place and attached to my desk."

Emma just laughed, clambering out from under the desk and sticking out her hand to help Regina up.

**Kailor: Ladeedaaaa. Hope you enjoyed this. Just a bit of fluffiness. Next chapter we take a darker turn, sadly. So enjoy it while you can. Reviews make me happy! See you all again soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Kailor: You guys are the best. Straight on to the story today, loves. And Happy New Year!**

Emma clapped her hands together, grinning at the finished desk. "Tada in full." She slid the office chair Regina had brought in up to the desk, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty?"

Rising primly, Regina stepped around the chair and settled into its warm leather. Emma pushed it up to the desk. The brunette scanned the hardwood, approving of the work the sheriff had done. "It's perfect, Emma. Thank you."

"My pleasure." Emma took a swig from her third root beer, leaning one arm on the back of Regina's chair.

Remembering what she was supposed to do once the desk was finished, Regina stood. She pulled her phone from her pocket, stepping away from the blonde and snapped a quick picture of the desk. She sent it to the number her mother had given her that morning. As Emma put her tools away, Regina got a reply.

"_Great timing! Now, get rid of Mom!_" It was followed by a very quick, "_Please._"

She hid her chuckle by putting her phone away and turning to snatch up her jacket. "Thank you very much, Emma. But I must be going now."

"Oh?" Emma said and Regina wondered if it was her imagination or if the blonde's face had fallen just a bit.

"Yes. I have a date." She slipped her arms into the jacket, shrugging it on.

Emma's face definitely fell a little then, though there was a strange narrowing of her eyes as well. Regina hid her smile with pursed lips. "Oh," Emma repeated.

Regina lifted one regal eyebrow, gathering her purse. "Have you depleted your vocabulary for the day?"

Emma shook her head, turning to grab up her tools and empty root beer bottles. "Oh-I mean, no. So, who's the date with?"

Throwing the blonde a smirk, Regina said, "Wouldn't you like to know, Miss Swan." She grabbed the other woman's button-up from the bed, holding it out. "Come along. I do hate being late." Emma took the shirt, juggling her toolbelt from hand to hand as she slid into it. Regina led her downstairs and to the front door. She popped open her purse, digging around inside. "Will a hundred do?"

"A what?" Emma's confused look nearly broke her composure, but she bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Then, just as her mother had said, Emma shook her head, stepping away. "You don't have to pay me, Regina. I wanted to help."

Regina pretended to continue digging. "No, no. Let me pay you, dear. You worked for nearly three hours."

But Emma opened the door, putting it between them as she stepped out. "Don't. Please, I had fun. I don't need money."

"Are you sure?" Regina asked, retracting her hand from the purse. Emma nodded quickly. "In that case, let me just say thank you again. But I really must be going."

"I got it," Emma said, backing down the front steps. Her eyes never left Regina's. "Have fun. I'll talk to you tonight?"

The brunette allowed her a small smile. "I'm certain you will."

XXXXXXX

Emma grimaced at her steering wheel as she got into the car. Though she barely knew Regina, she had been hoping to get to know her better. Maybe by taking her on a date or two. Seemed that ship had already sailed, though she'd gotten the feeling Regina wasn't telling her everything. She sighed, starting up the yellow bug and pulling away from the curb with a quick glance at the street.

It was warm enough outside that she saw people in just light jackets or t-shirts walking around town. Her mood soured more, realizing that by the Monday, her birthday, the weather would probably be freezing again. She contemplated texting Ariel to see about going surfing while the weather was warmer, but decided against it. Henry had asked her to play video games with him and Roland anyways. So she aimed her bug for home, turning up the radio and letting the music take her mind away.

She was still humming along to the last song playing when she exited the car. A scent caught her attention and she sighed longingly. Somebody was barbecuing nearby. She'd kill for a burger right then. But she pushed the craving away, letting herself in the house.

"SURPRISE!"

Emma leapt back against the wall, one hand flying to her hip and the other out in front of her in a defensive block. Had she had her gun on her, somebody probably would have been shot. When her brain finally registered the laughing faces surrounding her, she took a deep, steadying breath. "Oh my god, you guys!" She leaned forward, bracing her hands on her knees as she waited for her heart to calm down.

Her house was filled with people. Mary Margaret rushed forward to hug her and whisper an apology for scaring her, then pulled her the rest of the way into the house. Mulan was clapping her on the back. Tink had her island covered in alcohol and was playing bartender, though she had a bit of a slur going already. The kitchen table was covered in money and playing cards, surrounded by her friends. People were everywhere, wishing her a happy birthday or commenting on how shocked she'd looked. Someone had turned on music and voices lifted to speak over it.

When Henry's smiling face appeared, she grabbed him in a headlock. "Kid! You about scared me to death! Was this you?"

"I had help," Henry said, nodding to Ruby, who was chatting with Anna near the back door. Emma pushed through the crowd to her roommate's side.

Ruby grinned, waving her arms to indicate the room. "What do you think?"

"Have I told you I love you yet today?"

The brunette grinned, leaning closer. "No," she said in a childish squeal, expectantly turning her ear to the blonde.

"Good, because you're a jerk and I hate you," Emma deadpanned. "I nearly had a heartattack. How did you get all these people in here without tipping me off?"

"Everyone parked in the field behind Mulan's and walked. Brilliant, I know." Ruby shrugged.

"Come on, Em," Anna cut in, laughing. She continued in her ever breathless rambling. "You know you're happy. I mean, you can act happy. If you want to cry go ahead. I won't judge."

"I will." A thick-chested man with blonde hair said, appearing at Anna's side.

"Hey, Kristoff," Emma said, seeing her son's smile become very fixed out the corner of her eye.

"Heya. Happy birthday." Kristoff moved a little closer to Anna, his smile moving to her for a moment, then back to the birthday girl. "How old are you now? Like forty?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at the other blonde. "Your voice is finally starting to crack, so that'd be about right."

Kristoff laughed heartily, slinging an arm around Emma's shoulders. "Be nice, old woman. Or I'll make Anna replace Granny as grill master. Remember my birthday party?"

Anna groaned, covering her face. "It wasn't that bad!"

"You almost set me on fire!"

"But I didn't," Anna said matter-of-factly. She turned from her boyfriend to Henry. "Hey, Henry! Want to go see if we can get Granny to give us some food early?"

"Yeah!" Henry exclaimed, bouncing on his heels. The two quickly disappeared into the backyard. Emma followed with Ruby and Kristoff, finding her yard was also filled with people. Her small gazebo was full of workout equipment, so it was avoided, but beach chairs had been spread around a large bonfire that David was lighting at that moment. A few picnic tables she recognized from the park had been moved into her yard. A small plywood "dance floor" had been built beside the fire. She saw Leroy sitting at one of the tables, chatting with the little guy who ran the pharmacy. Aurora and Belle were standing by the large grill, talking to Granny as the old woman flipped steaks and burgers with practiced ease.

Emma whistled appreciatively. "Is the whole damn town here?"

Ruby looked around the fenced in yard. "Not everyone. August's leg was really messing with him again, so he stayed home with Marco. But they sent a present. Though, someone else just arrived."

Emma followed the brunette's gaze to the little gate in their fence that led to the driveway. Cora was there, opening it. And Emma's face stretched into a grin as she saw Regina step through, saying something to her mother.

Ruby's laugh followed her as she leapt off the porch, her long legs eating up the distance between herself and the Mills women.

Regina barely had time to realize who was sweeping towards her before she was snatched up in a tight hug. Her feet left the ground and her breath left her lungs as her vision filled with blonde hair. "Emma!" she gasped, less returning the hug than grasping the woman to keep from falling.

But Emma placed her back on her feet gently, her grin wide. "You knew. You were in on this."

Regina took a shaky step back, fixing her jacket and hair and ignoring her mother's sniggers. "I did. It was my job to keep you out of the house while they set up."

"So," Emma said, stepping closer. "That date?"

"Made up," Regina replied, fighting the heat flaring in her cheeks.

"Good." Emma's breathy response made her pulse quicken. She didn't even notice Cora slipping away. "Do you want to meet Granny?" Emma continued. "I'm sure you have if you've eaten at the diner. But now you get to meet her as my foster mom."

Regina nodded, straightening her shoulders out. "I'd love to."

XXXXXXX

Cora settled into her beach chair, flipping her hair out of her sunglassed face and sipping her wine.

In the chair beside her, Henry looked almost asleep, still and silent, his eyes hidden by his own shades, but smiling. "Looks like things are going well," he said.

"Indeed, dear," Cora smiled. "We were right. They get along very well. I think they're perfect."

Henry nodded, grabbing his Capri-sun from the ground beside him. He turned his head to the woman beside him. "To Operation Hero and Leander."

Cora clinked her wine glass with his juice pouch. "To us, darling. The best out there."

"The smartest."

"The sneakiest."

"The bro-est of them all." Henry laughed.

Cora repeated the sentence quietly, testing the words on her tongue. "Bro-est. We are the bro-est. Does this mean we are 'bros'?"

Her heart melted when the boy pushed his sunglasses up to look at her with green eyes. "We're family. But we can be bros too."

She reached out, running her fingers through his wavy hair softly. "Then to us, bro-est of them all."

And they settled back to enjoy their drinks in front of the small fire.

XXXXXXX

When the sun went down, David stoked the bonfire up so that it lit the backyard better. It was still blessedly warm enough to spend time outside. Regina heard Ruby saying that if everyone were forced inside, she'd have to send them home because she hated tight, closed in spaces. A few kids from town took over a corner of the yard, setting up a drum set and speakers and soon a live band was playing.

Emma had spent most of the party at Regina's side, unwilling to leave the new woman in town to drown in the crowd. Regina found it sweet and charming, but felt a little bad that the blonde was spending her whole party with her. So when the tall blonde with the braid approached and asked Emma to dance and Regina saw the sheriff hesitate, she gave her a gentle push. "Go ahead. I'll go talk to Henry."

It wasn't until Emma had set her drink down and moved off with the blonde that Regina remembered her name: Elsa. Emma's ex. She suddenly felt a bit angry, more at herself than at Elsa. She moved through the party to where Henry was sitting at a picnic table, eating a sandwich. He grinned when she sat beside him. "Hey, Regina!"

"Hello, Henry."

His eyes, so like his mother's in color and shape, strayed to the fire, where Emma was dancing with Elsa. They were laughing and rolling their hips exaggeratedly, but he was happy to see a polite distance between them. He looked back to Regina. "Are you having fun?"

"I am," she said. "It's shocking how many people are here. I thought this was a _small_ town."

Henry laughed. "It used to be much smaller. But we've expanded over time."

"I see," Regina responded absently.

He noticed her watching the two blondes dance as well and tried to hide his smile. He was figuring out the best way to bring it up when an arm drapped over his shoulders and he immediately recognized the soft hand he saw out the corner of his eye. He felt his face go red.

"Hey!" Anna grinned over his head at Regina. "I'm Anna. And you're Regina. We kinda met at the Anne-Marie." She stuck out her other hand to shake Regina's. "I'm Henry's old babysitter. Well, I'm not old. I mean I was his babysitter back when he needed a babysitter, which he obviously doesn't now."

Regina blinked at the fast pace of the woman's words, soaking them in. "Oh. Hi again."

"I was just coming over to see if you-" the redhead's gaze dropped to Henry's, "-wanted to dance. Kristoff's being a baby, complaining about a hangnail."

"Y-yeah!" Henry exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Of course. I'm a better dancer than him anyways."

Regina bit her lip to keep from smiling at his obvious enthusiasm. Anna, oblivious to Henry's red cheeks and goofy grin, grabbed his hand and skipped off to the fireside with him. His seat was quickly taken by Cora. Her mother's gaze was slightly unfocused, her grin too wide to be socially normal. And when she leaned into her daughter, Regina smelled wine.

"Regina, darling," Cora said, her voice dragging out the end of 'darling'. "How are you?"

"Good, Mother. You?"

"Mmmm," her mother hummed. "I'm having a wonderful time. But I have a lot of paperwork to do tomorrow. I'm afraid I won't be staying much longer. Also, your father's leg is starting to stiffen."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, darling. What doesn't kill me makes my drinks stronger." And then the older woman snorted in a very unladylike fashion, covering her mouth as she giggled.

Regina took the cup of sloshing red liquid from the woman's hand. "That's enough of that for you. I'll take you home when you're ready to go."

"No need, darling. Your father drove here. I do, however, have a favor. Can you drop by Town Hall on the way home and get my reading glasses? I left them in my office."

"Sure." Regina watched the woman fumble through her jacket pockets, finally pulling out a set of jangling keys. She handed them over and Regina pocketed them.

"They were right on top of my desk, I believe. Just grab them and-oh, hello!"

Regina turned as her mother greeted the new arrival.

Emma grinned at Cora's ardent greeting. "Hello." Her green gaze shifted back to Regina. "So, I was hoping to have a dance with the prettiest woman at the party..." She trailed off, her crooked grin growing wider. She held out a hand in a charmingly formal gesture.

But before Regina could even make her brain remember how to lift her arm, Cora's hand plopped into Emma's palm. "How sweet of you, dear. Let's go!" And the older woman pulled the blonde back towards the fire. Emma shot an apologetic smile over her shoulder. Regina just rolled her eyes, chuckling. Cora jerked the younger woman into position, then laid a stately hand on the blonde's shoulder, tossing her head back in a very ballroom pose. Over the fire, Regina saw Henry Sr. shaking his head with a small smile.

XXXXXXX

The song ended and Emma left Cora with Mary Margaret, moving back towards Regina. The brunette felt her heart skip a beat as green eyes locked on hers. The strumming of a guitar started from the speakers. Regina recognized the song immediately, smiling at the Spanish beat. Her stomach clenched as the sheriff once again stood before her, holding out a hand.

Regina glanced at the swaying bodies around the fire. "I told you, Miss Swan. I don't dance like that."

"I know," Emma said. "Your mother just regaled me with stories of your years in dance classes." Her fingers twitched, still reached out for her.

Regina slipped her hand into the blonde's larger one, feeling the calluses on the pads of her fingers and palm. "I do apologize."

Emma shrugged, pulling her up and onto the "dance floor". "Don't be. I enjoyed it. To think you used to move like an 'epileptic giraffe with three legs at a rave'."

"She did not say that! That woman is just asking for it-oh!"

Her sentence cut off as Emma suddenly spun her closer, bringing their bodies flush against each other, and looped Regina's arm around her own neck.

The quick move ripped the breath from Regina's lungs. And suddenly everything was in slow motion. She was close enough to see the firelight peeking through blonde curls to lick at the base of Emma's throat and tease the shadows along her collarbones. She could see the faintest flicker of a pulse in the side of the other woman's long neck. Emma's jaw was set, her smile replaced by tightly pressed lips. Her eyes were half-lidded, only giving a hint of the emerald beneath. The smell of cinnamon teased Regina's nose and tongue as she finally sucked in a breath. She wasn't sure if it was just her or if someone had turned up the music again, because suddenly that was all she could hear besides the soft huff of Emma's breath.

She gasped as Emma's foot tapped against the inside of hers and she automatically moved it out, circling it back to it's original postition, Emma mirroring the move. Callused fingers slid down her arms, hooking around her wrist to take her hand. The blonde's other hand moved expertly to the sensitive place between her shoulders, pulling her up into perfect frame. The intimate contact made Regina tremble as she rested her other hand on Emma's bicep, unconciously squeezing. She'd danced with many people in her classes, mostly men. But she had always led, always been in control. As the music sped up and Emma stepped into her, forcing her back a step, she realized that was not the case here.

Her eyes locked on Emma's, trying to read there what the blonde would do next. But the green eyes gave away nothing, just staring back at her, into her. Instead, her hint came from Emma's hand pressing slightly into hers. And Emma stepped into her again, flicking her foot out to tap against Regina's ankle. The silent message told Regina everything she needed to know and she lifted her foot, tapping the toe of her high-heel on the ground. Emma sidestepped, twisting her body away. Her right leg flicked out and Regina's left leg automatically copied it. Quickly, their legs hooked at the calf, then released. Her jacket swirled from her body as Emma spun her out, then tugged her back in, gentler, pressing her front to the brunette's back. Her rough hands slid down to Regina's hips, pressing softly to lead her, and they swayed together. Emma's fingers tensed on Regina's left hip, and Regina obeyed, turning that way. The blonde pulled her back in, closer. Soft breath tickled Regina's cheek and lips. It took her a moment to realize she had stopped breathing.

And just when she thought the sheriff couldn't surprise her anymore.

They continued to dance, a mix of formal ballroom steps and Latin. Neither woman was aware of the other dancers watching them, moving away from the dance floor. All Regina could see was blonde curls and flickering flames in green eyes.

When the song ended, Emma dipped her, drawing a small laugh from the brunette's lips. She pulled her back up. Their breaths came in shallow puffs. It took a few more seconds for Regina to hear anything besides the music and her-or was that Emma's?-heartbeat.

Cheering. She dragged her gaze from Emma's, blinking at the crowd that surrounded them. She saw Henry and Cora, side-by-side, clapping. Ruby's hands were cupped around her mouth as she howled. Regina felt her face heating up. She had completely forgotten where they were. Emma just chuckled, stepping away from her. The blonde gestured to Regina, as if presenting her to the party-goers, and the cheers grew louder.

She nodded, accepting the applause for a moment, then hurried off the dance floor. Maybe it was the embarrassment of dancing in front of everyone, or the way her heart had been racing from the second Emma spun her into hold, but Regina felt the strange urge to laugh.

Kathryn appeared at her side, grinning. "Okay, you were right, Reggie." Kathryn jerked her chin at the blonde who was talking to her son. "Bitch ain't real."

That was all it took to push Regina over the edge and she began to chuckle, clutching her ribs as that became full-blown laughter.

XXXXXXX

Emma was doing her best not to stare at Regina across the party. But apparently, she wasn't successful, because Ruby suddenly said, "I'll get the scissors."

"What?" Emma said, blinking at her roommate.

"Because you're creepily staring and you need to cut it the hell out."

On Emma's other side, Mary Margaret snorted into her drink.

"I am not creepily staring-"

"Emma," Ruby cut her off. "If you stare any harder you'll singe her clothing. And that's some nice ass clothing, so you better chill. I mean, did you not hear my panties dropping when you two were dancing?"

"Ruby Lucas!" Emma flushed. "Are you drunk?"

"Only a lot." The brunette grinned.

Emma was about to wrestle the drink from Ruby's hand when someone spoke behind her.

"Mom?"

She turned, finding a hand held out in front of her face. "What's up, kid?"

Henry's cheeks tinged pink, but he kept his hand out. "Will you dance with me?"

Emma's insides completely melted, leaving a pool of warmth in her stomach. Her eyes burned a bit and she blinked hard to hide it. "I thought dancing with your mom was embarrassing?"

"It's your birthday," Henry said, shrugging. "I'll let it slide this once."

She stood, reaching back to place her root beer on the table, then took her son's hand. He pulled her to the dance floor. When they stood face to face, she felt the familiar burning behind her eyes return. He was so tall. His hair stuck up to her shoulders, his eyes level with her collarbones.

Henry turned and waved to the band. The lead singer, a guy wearing a red bandana, finished his song and handed the mic off to a pretty little blonde that Emma recognized from Henry's school. She waved back at Henry and the band started up a soft beat. It barely took two notes before Emma knew the song and her tight hold on her tears slipped, one drop escaping to race towards her chin. "Oh, Henry. It's our song."

"Happy birthday, Mom." Her son smiled and held out his hands in a dance position.

She shot past his waiting hands, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. After a moment, he returned the hold, looping his arms around her back and squeezing tight, his small fingers curling in the fabric of her shirt. They barely swayed as the little blonde sang.

"_I dont need whiskey to drown out the pain. Or some old umbrella to hold off the rain. Don't have to cross over a river of tears. All that I need is right here_."

XXXXXXX

"_Holding you, holds me together. When holding on gets just a little too hard. When this tight rope I travel begins to unravel. And it feels like I'm falling apart. Holding you...holds me together_."

Regina watched the sheriff and her son dancing, suddenly feeling her chest tighten. Her left hand fluttered up to cover her stomach and she blinked furiously at the wetness gathering at the corner of her eyes. A hand covered her own and she turned her head, finding Cora there, a soft smile on her face. With a sigh, she let the older woman pull her into a tight hold, resting her forehead on her mother's temple.

"Are you okay, darling?"

"Yes, Mother. I'm fine." Regina looked back at the blonde. She cleared her throat, standing straighter. "I'll be off in just a minute to get your glasses and head home. Weren't you and Daddy leaving?"

"We were. But your father is busy taking all of Tink's money at cards at the moment." Cora pointed to the house where Regina could hear people yelling and laughing.

She shook her head. "Of course. Then I'll see you at home." When the song ended, she said a quick goodnight to Kathryn and headed for the gate. She let herself out and rounded the house, heading for the field just down the road where everyone had parked. She had just reached Mulan's driveway when she heard rapid footsteps behind her.

"Regina!" Emma stomped to a stop beside her, red leather jacket swinging from her fist.

"Emma?" Regina leaned around her to look back down the street. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mom said you were going to Town Hall before you head home. First off, I sorta forgot some stuff at the station. So I figured you could drop me off there and I'll drive the cruiser home. Secondly, you-" she pointed an accusatory finger at the brunette. "Did not tell me goodbye or happy birthday or thank you for that wonderful dance earlier-"

"I wasn't aware you expected such pleasantries," Regina said, smirking. "And if that is your way of _asking _for a ride, I guess I could give you one." She spun on her heel, not waiting to see if Emma followed. "Besides," she said over her shoulder. "Your birthday isn't until Monday. Don't get greedy, Miss Swan."

Emma chuckled, pulling on her jacket as she trailed the shorter woman.

XXXXXXX

They stopped at Town Hall first. Though Regina assured her she was fine going in alone, Emma insisted on coming with.

Despite her protests, Regina was very glad the blonde had joined her when she unlocked the door and stepped inside. The lights automatically dimmed after eight p.m. and the usually inviting lobby was dark and foreboding. She had forgotten that the building was in the process of being renovated. The right side of the room was covered in plastic, the opaque sheets fluttering occasionally even though the air was still. Scaffolding had been built in the corner and it was coated in shadow, rising above them eerily. She didn't say anything, but it really creeped her out.

Emma seemed unperturbed. She crossed the room and opened the door to the stairwell, ushering Regina through. They climbed up to Cora's office. Regina flicked through the keys until she found the right one and let them in.

It was even darker in the office. Hoping Emma didn't notice her hesitate in the doorway, Regina forced herself to cross the room at a calm pace. Though the corners were filled with thick shadows, moonlight filtered through the windows enough that she could make out the desk. Grabbing her mother's glasses, she turned and marched back to the door.

As she locked up, she heard Emma clear her throat behind her. "So. Henry likes you."

Regina put her keys away, smiling. "I like him too. Where did that come from?"

"He mentioned it while we were dancing." Emma let her go down the stairs first.

"He's very smart. And very sweet. You did well with him."

Emma chuckled. "I had a lot of help."

"Well, he's quite the gentleman. Which, I've noticed, is a term I could apply to you." Regina cocked her head to the side. "Gentlewoman?"

"I just prefer charming. I'm charming."

"Indeed," Regina laughed.

The conversation helped distract her from how dark the stairwell was, but she couldn't help but speed up a bit when she got to the bottom. She was ready to be safely back in her car. Emma moved closer, reaching to open the door for her, but Regina didn't wait this time. She grabbed the handle herself and tugged the door open.

A blast of hot air, smoke, and light threw them back onto the stairs, breaking the door off the hinges. Something hard and heavy landed on Regina's leg, but she couldn't think clearly past the thick smoke clogging her lungs.

Emma recovered first, sitting up and coughing. The doorway before them was full of flickering flames. Her green eyes jumped to the steel chunk of scaffolding that had Regina's ankle pinned. She leapt forward, lifting it with gritted teeth and shaking limbs. Tossing it aside, she grabbed Regina's hand. "Come on, let's go. We've gotta get out of here!" But Regina shook her head, her other hand grasping her ankle.

"I can't move," she gasped. "You have to get me out. Help me!" Regina squeezed her hand tighter, trying to breathe through the smoke.

Emma's eyes flicked up the stairs, back towards Cora's office, then to the flame-filled doorway. Releasing the brunette's hand, she hopped down the stairs, making for the door.

Regina snatched one leather-clad arm. When Emma's wide eyes turned back to her, Regina caught the firelight peeking through blonde curls to lick at the base of Emma's throat and tease the shadows along her collarbones, just like when they'd danced barely an hour before. The memory of how safe she'd felt in Emma's arms then clashed heavily with the wrenching in her stomach as Emma pulled away. Regina held tight. "You're going to leave me, aren't you?" she hissed before she could stop herself.

Emma's brow furrowed further, her gaze switching to the vice-like grip on her arm. Then she tore herself away, turned, and leapt through the flames blocking the door. She was gone.

Regina blinked furiously at the tears in her eyes, blaming the smoke that was thickening by the second. She rolled, her hands scrambling on the stairs to pull herself up. The windows in Cora's office were her only hope until the fire department arrived.

A loud, rushing noise filled her ears and the gray smoke mingled with white. She coughed, waving her hand to clear the air. A dark figure emerged from the smoke, slowly becoming clearer. Had the firemen gotten there already? But then the figure stepped closer.

And there was Emma, wielding a fire extinguisher in one hand and reaching for her with the other. The blonde grasped her wrist, yanking her up and ducking under her arm. Her hand moved from Regina's arm to her waist, lifting her easily. She half-carried the brunette to the door, spraying the extinguisher before them.

But through the smoke and flames, all Regina could see was Emma.

They shuffled through the lobby to the front doors, bursting out into the clean night air. Both of them began coughing heavily, trying to expel the smoke from their lungs.

Regina tested her foot on the ground, hissing in pain. Red lights flashed before her eyes. The fire truck had pulled up beside them. Men rushed to put out the fire, some hurrying to help the two women move farther from the burning building. The street was full of people, crowding close to see what was going on.

Emma held tight to Regina, not letting her go until the paramedics arrived and brought over a gurney. Despite her protests, they managed to get Regina on it, placing an oxygen mask over her face.

Blonde hair swung into her vision, a rough hand grabbing her arm. Green eyes latched onto her own, full of a different kind of fire than the one she'd just escaped. "I would never have left you, Regina." Emma's soot-stained jaw tensed visibly. "Never."

And then the sheriff moved away and was blocked from sight by bustling paramedics.

**Kailor: Stupid writer's block hit me for a while. Finally finished this chapter, thankfully. So happy now. Obviously, I do not own some of the fire scene. Or the characters. And a shout-out to the guest reviewer that commented about Cora and Henry Jr. being "bro-est of them all". That made me laugh so hard that I had to put it in here. Thank you all! Hope you enjoyed! Let me know! See ya next chappie!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Kailor: So! I was writing this chapter at work on the back of one of our weekly schedules. And my manager found it. And read it... And I was like OMG. But then she just asked me what else happens in the story and if that was all I had on me that I'd written. 0.0 What a good day!**

Regina tugged her face mask off, feeling more smothered by the paramedics and their questions than she had by the smoke. "I'm fine," she snapped at the nearest one. He backed off quickly, raising his hands in surrender. Once he was gone, she could see Emma. The blonde was standing near the steps of the burning building, her arms crossed over her chest. She was issuing orders left and right, never raising her voice or pointing a finger, but no one questioned the sheriff. They just hurried to obey. Something about her quiet authority made breathing hard. Regina grudgingly put the oxygen mask back to her face.

Suddenly, a blur of brown hair and gray and red scarf rocketed into her side. "Henry?" she rasped, removing the mask again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling back to stare up into her face. "Granny said you were okay, but are you really?"

"I'm fine, dear. Calm yourself." She was touched when she saw tears in the corners of his eyes. "Shouldn't you go see your mother?"

He shook his head. "She called us to come and get you. She told me to take care of you and anything you need." He sniffed, straightening up. His tears were gone in a few more blinks, leaving a calm boy.

Ruby and Granny elbowed their way through the crowd to her side. Ruby's hands gripped Henry's shoulders. "Hey," she said. "Have they said you can go yet?"

Regina glanced at the paramedic. He gave a stiff nod and she turned back to Ruby. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just ready to go home. These flashing lights are giving me a headache." She looked towards the building just as Emma joined them with David and Mulan in tow.

Emma stopped beside the gurney, raising an eyebrow and looking her up and down. Regina nodded away her concern. The blonde nodded back, then turned to her family. "Cora and Pops are still at the house?" Ruby confirmed they were. "Good. Bring Regina there and set them up."

"What?" Regina frowned. "We're staying at your house?"

The sheriff reached into her jacket and removed a plastic bag. Inside was a thick braid of rope. The end was charred black. After only a moment, she shoved the bag away again. "Seems Jefferson's house wasn't a one-time thing. I'm not taking any risks. Anyone who works regularly at Town Hall is being rounded up now. Luckily, there's not many. We'll put them up at Granny's until their houses can be checked out. But your family," Emma motioned to Regina. "You will stay with us until then."

David said, "Well, there's also Aurora. Being Cora's secretary, she's high on the list of possible targets as well." His eyes twinkled with mischief and Regina blinked at how alike he and Emma suddenly looked.

"This is true," Emma said slowly, as if she were thinking hard about it. "Mulan, maybe Granny's isn't the best place for her... She'll stay at your place."

Mulan's cheeks flared red. "M-my place? But-"

"No, that's an order. Get to it. David, if you could oversee everyone being moved to Granny's? Granny will meet you there after she drives this lot home, right?" Granny nodded. "Mulan, get Aurora. Ruby and Henry." She waited until both of them were looking at her. "You have your orders already. Get to it."

Regina watched Henry's chest swell and his chin rose just the slightest bit. Ruby's knuckles were white on his shoulders.

The two deputies scurried off to round up the Town Hall employees. Emma turned to Regina.

The brunette let Henry help her off the gurney, hiding a wince as her foot touched the ground. "But what about my father's medicines? Our clothes? How long will we be unable to return to our house?"

Emma shrugged, hooking her thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans. "I'm not sure. I'll have a team come out to check all the houses and I need to do a lot of questioning. Maybe a couple days. And don't worry about the clothes or meds." Her crooked grin looked devilish in the red lights of the fire truck. "That's what the emergency budget's for. Ask your mom."

Ruby and Henry helped Regina hop through the crowd to the little white truck waiting for them. Granny had already started it. Once they were settled, she drove them to the Swan house and left them there to go meet up with David.

The party had cleared out quickly. Word traveled very fast in a small town. The band was gone, the bonfire had been doused, and the house was quiet. Besides Cora and Henry Sr., only Tink remained, fast asleep on the office couch.

As soon as Henry helped Regina limp over the threshold, Cora was on her, hugging her so tight she felt her ribs creak. "Mother!" she gasped. "I can't breathe!"

"I'm so sorry, darling! All for my stupid glasses!" Cora's voice caught, like she was fighting tears. "Are you okay? We spoke to Emma a few minutes ago and she said you were fine."

"I am. But I won't be if you continue squeezing me so hard." Finally, Cora released her. "Thank you," she huffed. "Now, if you don't mind, I just want to shower and sleep."

"This way," Henry Jr. said, at her side immediately. He led her to the stairs, patiently helping her up each one. Her ankle was starting to feel a little better, but she was sure it was going to be bruised. She did her best to lean most of her weight on the banister. A few times, she slipped and caught Henry around the neck heavily or squeezed his shoulder too tight. He didn't so much as make a sound. He just steadied her and kept them moving.

At the top of the stairs he turned left and led her to the bathroom. "The shower can be a little wonky sometimes. If the hot water suddenly turns cool, just hit here-" He pointed to a spot above the hot water faucet that had a circle drawn in Sharpie. "That should put it back to hot. Towels are under the sink. I'll grab some of Mom's clothes for you. Do you need anything else?"

She smiled at the boy, reaching out to smooth his hair. "No. You've done more than enough. Thank you, Henry."

He nodded, his cheeks flushing with pride. "Just yell if you need anything."

She waited until he had shut the door behind him, then leaned against the sink, sighing. Like the fire had burned away her energy, she felt weak and tired. But she knew she smelled like an ashtray, so she gave herself a few moments to rest, then moved to start the water. Henry knocked on the door soon after and passed her a bundle of clothes. She locked the door after him and stripped. The shower was just warm enough to keep her from freezing, but she found she'd had enough heat for one night so she kept the cold water turned up. Normally she enjoyed long showers, but her legs felt like they were barely holding her up anymore. So she quickly scrubbed herself down with a citrus body wash that she suspected was Ruby's. The "Waterfall" scented shampoo, though, she would bet was Emma's. It just seemed like the kind of thing the blonde would use.

Once she was done drying off, she pulled on her own underwear and turned to the clothes Henry had brought. The pajamas weren't the plain colored silk she was used to. Instead, the cotton pants were covered in different colored paw prints. The t-shirt was a bit large, bright green, and read, "SHARK BAIT. HOO HA HA."

Shaking her head, she pulled them on.

When she opened the bathroom door, Henry looked up from his seat on the stairs. He scrambled to his feet. "Hey! Did they fit?"

She picked at the oversized clothes. "Well enough."

"Yeah, they're big on Mom too." He shrugged. "Just leave your clothes in the bathroom. I'll wash them in a bit. But do you want to go to bed now?"

Regina nodded gratefully. "Do you have a guest bedroom or anything?"

Henry snorted, his nose crinkling as he smiled. "You saw the house after everyone went out last week. No guest bedroom. We just moved everybody around a bit. Cora and Pops get Ruby's bed, Ruby will sleep with me, and you'll bunk with Mom."

It took a couple seconds for that thought to process. Then Regina felt her cheeks heat up and she fought to ignore the feeling. "But, the couches-"

"Mom's orders." As if that was all the argument he needed, he turned and headed towards his mother's room at the end of the hall. Regina hesitated, glancing down the stairs. She could see Ruby bustling about in the kitchen, talking to her father. Cora was seated at the kitchen island, sipping a glass of wine. Her mind raced, trying to find some excuse not to sleep in the same bed as the blonde sheriff, but nothing seemed good enough. There really was no reason. Except maybe that she was scared she'd be tempted to never leave. Finally, her feet moved and she limped to the bedroom.

Henry had turned down the covers for her and was fussing with the pillows. "Do you need more pillows?" he asked over his shoulder when he heard her enter. "Or less? I know Mom sleeps with a lot. But I could grab some more from the closet. Or we have memory foam pillows, if you want. I-"

She jumped in to cut off his rapid fire questions. "Henry, dear." Regina hobbled to the bed and sat on the edge, grabbing the boy's hands to stop him from fluffing the pillows again. She waited until his green eyes were on hers. "Henry, I'm perfectly fine with the amount of pillows already present. Please," she squeezed his hands. "Are you okay?"

He smiled again, but this time she was closer to him. She could see the tension in his cheeks, the way his bottom lip trembled just the littlest bit. His shoulders were thrown back, his little chest puffed out. "I'm good. Mom just told me to take care of you."

She smoothed her thumbs over the backs of his hands, leaning closer. "But are you okay, Henry? I know what happened tonight was scary for all of us. It's okay if you're upset or..." she trailed off, unsure where she had been going with that. But the smile slid slowly from Henry's face and she saw the way his eyes flickered back and forth between her own, searching for something.

"Are you really okay, Regina?" His voice had dropped to a whisper, like he didn't want anyone to hear his question. "Is my mom okay?"

And there was the twelve year old boy. She smiled softly and squeezed his hands again. "Your mother is perfectly fine. I am fine. We escaped practically unscathed. And your mother will find out who did this."

Henry shuffled from foot to foot for a moment, his gaze dropping to the small hole in the knee of her pajama pants. "And you won't leave, will you?"

Like a fist had clenched around her heart, her chest tightened. "Of course not, dear. Why would I leave?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't want you to."

She patted his hands gently. "I'm not going anywhere, Henry. And neither is Emma."

The young Swan bit his lip. Then he lurched forward, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly. She didn't hesitate to return the hug. One hand rubbed circles against his bony shoulders, the other stroked his hair. They stayed that way for a few minutes, both feeling calmer than before. When Henry finally pulled away, Regina reluctantly let him go. "I guess I better go." He smiled the same crooked smile his mother had. "Still got some things to do. Goodnight."

"Actually, there's one more thing." Henry paused in the doorway, his hand on the knob. "At Town Hall, your mother said you and Ruby had your orders already. Were they just to take care of my family?"

For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he shook his head.

"What else?"

"Our orders are the same as always." His nose crinkled as he smiled. "Stay strong until she's home to be strong for us."

Her insides completely melted at that. She pressed her lips together to keep them from shaking. She nodded and Henry left.

He shut the bedroom door on his way out and Regina sighed heavily, letting it sink through her body to the floor. She turned off the bedside lamp, throwing the room into darkness. Oddly, the shadows didn't unsettle her like they had at Town Hall. Sinking into the pillows-there really were a lot-she pulled the covers to her chin and let the weariness that she'd been fighting take over.

XXXXXXX

At first she wasn't sure what woke her. Then she heard it again, the soft creak of footsteps in the hallway. Still sleepy, she watched the door through slitted eyes. It opened, spilling light into the room. Emma stopped on the threshold, scrubbing her hair dry with a thick towel. With the hall light framing her, Regina could barely make out a pair of baggy sleep shorts and a gray tanktop. Her gun belt hung from her hand. The blonde turned and laid it on the dresser as quietly as possible, then dropped the towel into a basket behind the door before swinging it shut softly. All Regina could see was her shadowy shape, barely lit by the moonlight filtering through the window, as the sheriff moved across the room. She saw the stooped hunch of Emma's shoulders, the way her head hung between them like she couldn't be bothered to hold it up anymore. When Emma rounded the bed and settled on it, a soft sigh escaped her.

The bed shifted as Emma rolled into it, tucking herself under the covers. Regina turned over to face her. "Hi," she whispered, not sure why she was whispering.

"Did I wake you?" Emma replied, just as quiet. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Regina said. "How are you?"

"Tired," the blonde sighed.

"Where have you been?"

"Making sure everything was handled with the fire department and the Town Hall workers and crowd control. I called Dusty. He's going to get a team up here to check everyone's houses out." Emma shifted, moving just a little closer to her. "We can talk more tomorrow. I'm beat."

Regina hummed in agreement, snuggling deeper into the pillows and closing her eyes.

But suddenly, she wasn't sleepy. She was tired, very tired, but not sleepy. She felt wide awake. She was hyper aware of every part of her body and even more aware of how close Emma was. Soft breaths fanned across the arm she had tucked under her cheek. She had been comfortable before, but now she was warm. Like a human radiator, Emma's body heat filled the bed quickly. Without meaning to, she found her breathing slowing to match the puffs she felt on her skin.

She opened her eyes again. Her eyes slowly adjusted and she could see the curve of Emma's jaw, lightly coated with silver moonlight. Her eyes were closed, the dark lashes still. Her lips were parted just enough that Regina could see the tips of her bottom teeth, the one slightly crooked one breaking the straight line. Regina's gaze moved up her face. In her right eyebrow, barely visible, was a small scar, white in the moonlight. She bit her upper lip, feeling her own scar stretch. It was strange, after a night filled with fire, to see the woman so calm, bathed in silver. The shadows that had sat in the dip of her collarbones were gone, the soft hollow filled with moonlight. The sharp sweetness of cinnamon scent touched her tongue as she breathed in. And she smelled the "Waterfall" shampoo, but she wasn't sure it wasn't just her. It was a strange combination, but she took another deep breath, loving it.

Just before she finally drifted off to sleep, Emma rolled onto her stomach, her arms sliding up under the pillows. Her hand touched Regina's under the plush mountain, but Regina was too tired to shift away. Vaguely, she realized she didn't want to.

XXXXXXX

Regina woke up alone. It took her a moment to remember why she was drowning in pillows and her legs weren't clad in silk. Finally, she lifted her head, blinking drowsily at the empty space beside her. She slid her hand across the sheets, frowning when she found them cold. She sat up, stretching and blinking at the alarm clock. It was barely seven a.m. Her clothes were folded neatly on the dresser, beside Emma's gun belt. She debated going back to bed, but shouting sounded from outside.

The brunette rolled from the bed, finding slippers waiting for her right where her feet landed. She shuffled to the window, her ankle feeling much better. Pulling the curtain aside, she peered down into the backyard. The picnic tables had been moved to the sides of the yard, only one left in the center. Henry was sitting at it, strapping on sparring gloves and shoes. He already wore a padded vest and a foam helmet. Mulan was talking to him, decked out in the same gear. David was fidgeting with his vest, yelling across the yard towards the house. Someone yelled back and David laughed.

She dressed quickly, opting to stick with the slippers rather than her heels, and made her way downstairs.

Tink was seated at the island, a pair of blue pills sitting in her palm. Regina heard her say, "I tried recycling once. The garbage guy left a brochure for an AA meeting on my doorstep. Bastard!" Aurora was offering her a glass of water, shaking her head at the blonde. Henry Sr. was sitting next to her, sipping from a large steaming mug and chuckling. Cora and Ruby were at the stove, arguing. ("Ruby, you're burning the pancakes!"-"You were in charge of the pancakes!") Mary Margaret was lounged on the couch, rubbing her large belly. Emma was standing in the back door, yelling at David.

"Don't be a baby, David! I'll go easy on you today!" Emma said, her lopsided grin saying otherwise. She turned as Regina stepped off the last stair. "Morning, Gummy Bear! Sleep well?"

She glared playfully at the blonde. "I did. Thank you. What are you doing?" Her hand motioned to the sparring gear the sheriff wore.

"Training. We do this every Sunday. Well, almost every Sunday."

"Emma! Henry's ready!" Mulan called.

"No, I'm not!" Henry protested, his voice higher than usual.

Emma clapped her hands together gleefully and hopped out the back door.

Cora gestured to the empty seat beside Henry Sr. Regina took it, smiling as her father leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Morning, _princesa_." He wordlessly pointed to the coffee pot. She nodded and he tapped Aurora's shoulder. The redhead hopped up and returned with a mug from the dishwasher. Henry Sr. filled it with coffee and passed it to her.

If she thought it was strange that Emma was so comfortable being in her house the day before, it was even stranger to see her mother making breakfast without once asking where anything was. To see her father silently ask for something from someone who didn't even live there and get it. Small towns were weird. She sipped her coffee, shaking her head. There was a sharp grunt outside and she stood, curious. She carried her mug to the back door, leaning against the door frame to watch.

Henry stumbled back to his feet, rubbing his knee. David and Mulan were behind him, fanned out. Emma bounced on the balls of her feet, shaking her arms out. "Again, kid."

Henry didn't wait to be told twice. He jabbed at her stomach, but the blonde blocked, her other hand shooting out to smack him on the shoulder, shoving him to the side.

"Second rule?" Emma said, hands still raised.

Like he was reading from a textbook, Henry said, "If your enemy is in range, so are you."

"Good." Emma suddenly dropped to the ground, sweeping a leg at his ankles. Henry jumped it just in time, but never saw Mulan's punch until it caught him in the ribs. He staggered back, his face turning red.

"That's not fair!"

Mulan smiled. "Fifth rule, Henry."

Though he scowled heavily at her, he said, "The only unfair fight is the one you lose." This time he dodged both Mulan's punch and David's knee. Emma's elbow barely clipped his jaw, but he dropped to the ground, rolling away.

"That's my boy!" Emma's wide grin wiped the scowl off Henry's face. He was back on his feet quickly, falling into a defensive stance. She circled him, peppering him with short blows. He blocked nearly all of them. "You're gonna hit me. Where do you aim?"

"Nose?"

"Wrong." Emma's fist caught Henry in the side, knocking the wind from him.

"Floating ribs," he gasped, backing away.

Emma stalked after him, nodding. "Right. Knock their air out first. Then?"

"Then nose."

"Why?"

"Jaw or cheek will just hurt me."

Emma's grin widened. Instead of hitting him again, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. She dropped a quick kiss on his temple. "Smart boy-oof!" She doubled over as his elbow connected with her ribs. His other arm swung up, his fingers bopping her on the nose softly. He backed off quick. For a moment, she just blinked at him. Then she burst into laughter. "That's it!"

XXXXXXX

Cora set a plate in front of Henry Sr., giving him a quick kiss.

"_Mi reina_," he said, all husky voice and soft eyes.

She kissed him again, smiling against his lips. Her fingers ran through the little hair he had left, mussing it up. After a few moments, she pulled away and crossed the room to Regina's side. She watched her daughter's face as she observed the training going on. Every time Henry got hit, the corners of her eyes twitched and her lips pressed tighter together.

"Regina?"

The brunette looked at her then, blinking. "Mother."

"Having fun?"

Her daughter's lips pursed again, her scar standing out. "Why are they training a twelve year old to fight?"

Cora watched as Henry ducked Mulan's fist and jabbed at her chest, missing. "He wanted to learn." Regina glanced at her sharply. "They train every Sunday morning, the sheriff and deputies. But Henry asked last week if he could join them."

"But why did Emma say yes? He's a child."

"Exactly," Cora sighed. "And Emma knows better than anyone how much a child can be hurt." Regina's eyebrows drew lower, her head cocking slightly to the side. The move was so much like her father that Cora laughed. "You can ask her about it later. For now, come eat."

XXXXXXX

Emma and the deputies left an hour later to question the Town Hall employees. Ruby went to work and Tink gave Aurora a ride back to Mulan's house. This left Regina, her parents, and Henry Jr. Cora was quick to wrangle everyone into the car and head into town to pick up some clothes and Henry Sr.'s medicines. While her parents wandered off to the frozen food section, Regina followed Henry to the dog food.

"You have a dog?" she asked as he bent to read the ingredients on a large bag of food.

"Sorta. He was left to us by a friend. But he comes and goes as he pleases." He frowned at the ingredients, shoving the bag back onto the shelf and grabbing another. He repeated the process of scanning, frowning, and returning the bag three more times.

"What are you looking for?" Regina crouched beside him.

Henry jerked his chin at the empty slot on the shelf. "The food we normally get Wolf is out. The rest of these foods aren't that high quality."

She blinked. "I didn't realize dog food had high and low qualities." The only pet she'd ever had was a goldfish and she had promptly killed it by overfeeding it.

The young Swan pointed to the ingredients on the bag he was holding, letting her lean closer to read them. "Well, dog food's like human food. The ingredients are listed from what weighs the most in the food to what weighs the least. So, generally, the first ingredient is what most of your dog's food is. Like this one. The first ingredient is corn. Never good."

"Why's that?"

"Because dogs don't digest corn, just like we don't. So for dogs it's just a filler food. It goes through them quickly so they eat the food faster and you have to buy more." He placed the bag back on the shelf and grabbed another. "So anything with corn or corn gluten meal isn't ideal. You want the first ingredient to be a meat. It sits longer in their stomachs so they don't eat as quickly and you don't have to buy food as often. It's like the difference between eating McDonald's every day or a home cooked meal."

"So..." Regina scanned the ingredients. "Is this one good? Salmon is the first listing."

Henry nodded, smiling. "Very good. Especially for thick coats like Wolf's. Salmon is good for their fur. Like fish oil is good for your skin."

"And no corn," Regina noted, reading the rest of the ingredients. She looked back up to see him nodding approval. She chuckled. "How do you know all this stuff?"

Henry plopped the bag into the buggy. "My uncle, Graham, taught me. Wolf used to be his dog."

The name brought the photo in Emma's office floating back to the forefront of her mind. "I see," she said, unsure what else to say.

"Yeah, he knew a lot about dogs. He was a trainer before he was the sheriff." Henry rolled them back towards the meat section.

Regina followed at a more sedate pace, keeping a foot behind him and pretending to scan the shelves. "Were you close?"

She watched one of his shoulders rise and fall. "Yeah. I called him uncle, but he wasn't like Aunt Ruby. But he was around a lot. He's the one that taught Mom all that stuff she was teaching me today." He snagged a can of red beans and dropped it in the buggy.

"Do you miss him?"

The buggy slowed, then stopped. Henry didn't turn to look at her. His fingers drummed on the metal. "Yeah... All the time. But..." And then he did turn to her, his eyes dry and his mother's crooked smile on his lips. "But I read a book once. _My Sister's Keeper_. Good book. And in it, she says, 'If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one'?" He shrugged again and went back to shopping, like he'd said nothing.

It took a few moments for Regina's stomach to unclench before she could trail after him. Though she had spent the night dreaming of a beautiful blonde pulling her from a burning building, it was the woman's son that had stolen her heart.

**Kailor: Aaaaaand, gonna end on that note. Next chapter coming soon! Thank you all and I hope you enjoyed! Reviews make me happy! See you!**


	10. Chapter 10

Emma settled back against the rough shingles of her roof, balancing her bottle of root beer on her bent knee. It had been a long few hours. After questioning the majority of the employees of Town Hall and coming up empty, she had called Dusty. He had promised to come up, but not until after Halloween. Then Will Scarlet had been caught trying to break into the Nedakh's shed. Their teenage daughter, Kida, had beaten him into submission and Emma ended up arresting them both. Kida's father was quick to scoop her up from the jail and give Emma a talking to. Will Scarlet had settled happily into his cell for the night, waving merrily as she left. And then a cat had darted across the road, nearly making her wreck, and she ended up having to get out and bring the thing home to keep it's young owner from crying. After that she had been quite done with the day. So she had gone home, grabbed a root beer, and climbed up on the roof to de-stress.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

She looked around at the twang-filled voice, raising an eyebrow.

Ruby, wearing Emma's toolbelt, was climbing over the other side of the roof. The brunette grinned. She stopped, hooking her thumbs in the belt and looking Emma up and down. "I just finished fixing up that loose gutter of yours. I'm gonna have to ask how you're paying today, miss."

Emma crossed her legs at the ankles, laying back on the shingles. "Oh my," she drawled. "I left my checkbook at the office. Is there any other forms of...payment...you accept?"

Ruby slid over to sit beside her, drumming her fingers on the hammer hanging from the belt. "Well, you could let me get a picture of you to send to all my friends. I want to prove to them that angels do exist."

Emma snorted, dropping her playful accent. "You're ridiculous."

"But you love it," Ruby grinned, pulling out her phone. "Say cheese." She leaned closer and snapped a quick picture of the two of them.

A car passed slowly. Emma recognized Duke Wesel's little car and the little man himself driving it, peering up through his round glasses and bushy mustache at them. "Ruby, he's staring at you again."

"Oh, god. That prick." Ruby glared until the car turned the corner. "He was at the diner this morning. Asked me out AGAIN."

"Quit playin'. I know he's your secret crush."

Ruby pretended to gag, clutching at her throat. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she shook.

"Come on, Rubes!" Emma laughed. "He could take you to dinner at his parents' house, where he still lives. Then you could go dancing, where you'd have to get on your knees so he was taller. Then he would leave you on the dance floor to have his hourly phone call with his mother. And then he could take you back to his place and you could have awkwardly silent sex because he doesn't want to wake his mother with the bedsprings."

"Please shut up. I'm really going to throw up."

"All you'd have to do is be real nice and dress up real nice."

Ruby let out a bark of laughter. "The day I dress up for a man is the day they dress me in my coffin to meet Jesus." Completely straight-faced, the brunette closed her eyes, crossed herself, then folded her hands in prayer. Emma rolled around next to her, cackling. The two looked up as a loud crackle of thunder rolled over them. Ruby grinned. "Thought I smelled rain."

"'You know what happens when a toad gets struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else'," Emma quoted, chuckling.

Ruby sighed longingly. "Fucking Halle Berry. She sold that line, man."

"Stone-cold determination," Emma agreed, nodding. "Only she could have pulled that off."

"I'd like to see her pull more than that off," Ruby muttered.

"Cheers." Emma raised her bottle then took a long swig of it.

"So, storm's a-comin'. Movie night?"

"Call the cavalry. Let's do it."

XXXXXXX

Henry's phone dinged in the back seat. A moment later he leaned around the passenger seat, shoving the phone beneath Regina's nose. She blinked down at the picture he'd just received. Ruby was grinning cheesily and Emma was toasting the camera with her root beer, crooked grin in place. Under the picture it read, "_Movie night, pups! Me and Em's house! We accept donations! Remember, they keep us out of the poor house and your house!_"

Regina chuckled, shaking her head. "Your aunt is..." She searched for the word. "Interesting."

"Tell me about it," Henry chuckled. "But it's movie night! You're going to love it, Regina. We have a movie night whenever a big storm is coming through. That way, if the power goes out, we're all together. And it's always a scary movie. So if the power goes out..." He wagged his fingers and made long, moaning noises like a ghost.

"Scary movies?" Regina said, frowning.

Cora didn't look away from the road, but she reached over and patted Regina's knee. "Don't worry, darling. I can hold your hand if you like. Or Emma could." Regina glared at the sparkle in her mother's eye.

"Yeah!" Henry exclaimed, grinning. "Mom will hold your hand! She never gets scared!" Then he launched into tales of bumps in the night that Emma had investigated. Regina listened, not realizing how wide her grin had gotten.

When they got to the house, Regina, Henry, and Cora hurried to get their shopping bags while Henry Sr. started the long journey up the driveway on his cane. Regina closed the trunk, balancing the groceries in her arms and making sure Henry had a good hold on the giant bag of dog food. When the boy saw the amount of vehicles parked outside the house, he grinned. "Come on, Regina!" He sprinted to the house.

The brunette glanced at her mother. Cora chuckled. "Prepare for insanity, my darling." The older woman hefted her own bags and followed her husband up the driveway. Regina hung back a little, hearing music as she got closer. Was there a night where the people in this town didn't party?

The music washed over them the second Henry Sr. opened the door. Regina peered over her mother's shoulder, eyes widening at the scene before her.

Mulan, slightly red-faced, but smiling, led the beat with a pair of bongos. Tink was dancing around with her trumpet. David was jamming on an electric guitar. Mary Margaret and Aurora were at the kitchen table, nodding along and peeling potatoes. Granny stood over the stove, cooking. Though she wasn't dancing, Regina saw her toe tapping. Belle and Kathryn were in the living room, bopping around and rearranging the furniture. And Emma, Ruby, and Henry were dancing around the kitchen, laughing and singing. All three had their collars popped ridiculously.

Emma grabbed Ruby, spinning her. "She's into superstitions," she sang. "Black cats and voodoo dolls." The blonde released Ruby. She hopped, crossing her feet, and spun herself, arms above her head. "I feel a premonition. That girl's gonna make me fall."

Regina caught the sheriff's gaze and Emma grinned. Before Regina could comprehend what was happening, Henry Jr. had grabbed the bags from her arms and pushed her towards Emma. And once again, Regina was in the blonde's arms, being pulled into a wild dance around the room. There were no formal steps this time. Emma bounced around her, blonde hair flying. Her hips rolled. And she sang. "She's into new sensations. New kicks in the candle light." Not only could the woman dance, but her voice was like velvet, slightly raspy, but smooth as it slid over the skin of Regina's neck. "She's got a new addiction, for every day and night." Something flashed in her green eyes. A challenge, Regina decided, as Emma raised an eyebrow. The brunette narrowed her eyes, her nostrils flaring. Then she spun into the sheriff, pressing her back to the blonde's front, and rolled her hips to the beat. By the soft gasp near her ear, she knew she'd surprised her dance partner. She smirked, tossing her hair out of her face. But Emma didn't miss a beat, twisting with her as Tink's trumpet blared behind them.

Ruby leapt onto the kitchen island, spinning up to her knees and ignoring Granny's gruff protests. "She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain!" She threw her head about dramatically, grabbing her own hair. "She'll make you live her crazy life, but she'll take away your pain like a bullet to your brain. Come on!"

"Upside, inside out!" everyone sang, making Regina laugh.

"She's livin' la vida loca!" Ruby yelled, still jamming on the island.

"She'll push and pull you down!" Regina caught Kathryn head-banging across the room.

"Livin' la vida loca!" Ruby sang.

Emma spun Regina close, dipping her. "Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color of mocha!"

"She will wear you out!" Henry Jr. sang as he danced by with Cora.

"Livin' la vida loca!" Ruby screamed, falling across the island, strumming her invisible guitar.

The next few minutes were full of the insanity her mother had promised. Everyone sang and danced. Granny even let Henry Jr. spin her before she returned to cooking. Ruby pulled Belle into the dance and Aurora and Kathryn quickly followed. Regina felt like she had walked onto the set of a musical. Where one person left off a lyric, another was quick to pick it up. Dance partners were swapped with ease, spinning around the little kitchen without hitting anyone or anything, like it was rehearsed. But the wild abandon in Emma's bouncing steps, Ruby's flinging hair, and even in Henry Jr.'s flapping arms, told her it wasn't. Regina found herself dancing with every person that flew by. Even her father danced, slow and stiff, but still able to swing his hips. Seeing his wide smile and jilted attempts at pelvic thrusts, Regina had to laugh. She let herself go, forgetting that she was surrounded by people she barely knew, and danced. When the song ended and everyone was laughing, Emma pulled Regina close for another second. "And you said you can't dance like that."

Regina smirked at Emma's awed grin and her wide eyes. "I said I don't, dear." And she spun on her heel, moving to help Cora and Henry put away the things they'd bought. She was thrilled at her small victory of leaving the blonde speechless. It was about time she was the one to surprise Emma.

They had just finished dinner and cleared the table when Cora handed Regina a large plastic bowl full of dog food. "Can you put this by the back door, darling?"

Regina obeyed, weaving through the people moving around the house to crouch and place the bowl on the floor. When she looked up, she found herself staring into piercing eyes, one pitch black and one blood red. Her stomach flipped and she fell backwards, arms flailing uselessly. Her backside landed painfully on the hardwood floor, but she ignored it, pushing herself away from the large beast that was silently slipping through the dog door.

"Whoa, whoa. Regina." Emma's rough hands grabbed her under the arms, easily lifting her to her feet. "It's just Wolf. Our dog. It's okay." Emma rounded her to stand next to the beast, laying one palm on his muzzle. The wolf nuzzled into her hand, closing its eyes.

"That is not a dog, Miss Swan!" Regina said, her voice a little higher than normal.

But Emma ignored her, crouching to bury her face in the creature's fur. "Hey, buddy. Glad you made it home before the storm." Henry, still across the room, clapped his hands and whistled. Wolf left Emma on the floor and hurried to the boy's side, tail wagging. The sheriff slowly rose, hooking her thumbs in her back pockets. "See? He's a big baby."

Regina just glared at her, still trying to calm her racing heart.

Thunder sizzled outside and lightning lit the windows. Emma grinned. "Time for movie night! Into your pajamas, family!"

It was only then that Regina realized everyone who wasn't currently living there was indeed in pajamas. She wasn't sure how she missed Tink's bright orange Garfield pants, but she just shook her head. Ruby led the way upstairs, claiming the bathroom before Henry Jr. could. Cora handed Regina the bag of clothes she'd bought that day before joining her husband in Ruby's bedroom.

Emma gave a tight-lipped smile, bouncing on her heels. "You can change in our room and I can go to the downstairs bathroom, if you like."

Regina was debating what to reply when Emma's words actually registered. "Our room, Miss Swan?" she said, smirking.

To her delight, the sheriff's cheeks turned pink. "Uh, I mean-"

"We can both change in the room. I trust you can behave?" She swept past Emma, sauntering down the hall.

Emma chuckled behind her. "Can doesn't mean I will, Miss Mills."

Regina paused at the door, glancing back over her shoulder. "In that case...do hurry along, dear." This time Emma's entire face went red, starting with her ears. It was too cute. Seemed like Emma could dish it out, but as soon as Regina played back, she became shy. The brunette smirked even more, tossing her hair as she turned back to the room. Her lips twitched as she heard a soft groan behind her before Emma joined her.

Despite her coy challenge, Regina had to fight to keep her hands from shaking as she opened the bag of clothes she'd bought. She felt like a school girl again, nervous to change in front of the other woman. When Emma disappeared into the closet to change, Regina let go of the breath she'd been holding and quickly stripped. She had just finished pulling on her pajama pants when Emma emerged, wearing red basketball shorts and a black muscle shirt. Regina raised an eyebrow at the slogan across the shirt.

"'Good girls go to Heaven. Bad girls go to Mardi Gras'? Really, Miss Swan?"

Emma shrugged, eyeing Regina's matching, silk pajamas. "Spent some time in Louisiana. Mardi Gras was insane."

"So you're a bad girl then?" She hadn't meant it to come out as throaty as it did and she felt her own cheeks turning red.

Emma, already blushing, just shrugged. "If I want to be." Then she winked and left the room, taking the tension and sudden heat Regina had felt with her. But it was quite a few more minutes before the brunette's pulse stopped racing enough to leave the room.

XXXXXXX

When Regina returned to the living room, she found the couch from the office had been moved into the living room. It, the living room couch, the love seat, and the armchair had been pushed together in a semi-circle around the T.V. The area where the coffee table usually was had been filled with blankets and pillows, making a plush pallet big enough for nearly everyone. Her father had taken the armchair. Beside him, in the love seat, was Cora and Granny. The space on the couch beside them was empty. Then Emma and Mary Margaret filled the rest of it. The second couch had Ruby, Belle, and Kathryn. The three women were stretched out, covered with their own blankets and chatting amongst themselves. The rest of the group had settled onto the pallet before the T.V. Henry was wrapped neatly in a huge comforter between Aurora and Tink, his messy hair sticking up out of his little blanket cocoon. Wolf was curled up at his feet. On Aurora's other side, Mulan was seated, cross-legged and stiff. David sat beside Tink, leaning back against the couch where Mary Margaret sat. Her fingers were combing idly through his hair. Bowls of popcorn were being passed around. Outside, she could hear the rain starting.

Emma looked up and smiled her crooked smile, patting the empty space beside her. Regina rounded the row of seats and stepped between Aurora and Henry to take her place. She folded her legs under her, leaning against the arm of the couch. Emma, who was slouched beside her with her legs folded, grabbed an extra blanket from the floor and offered half of it to Regina. She accepted it with a small nod.

"Alright, so what's the movie tonight?" Tink spoke up. "Did Cora pick again? Last time she picked I slept through the entire movie."

"I picked," Henry said before Cora could say anything. "It's _Silent Hill._"

Regina shuddered, already regretting agreeing to this.

Henry put the movie in and rushed across the room to turn off the lights. Seated in the dark, with just the dull glow of the T.V., Regina snuggled deeper into the couch, covering herself more securely with the blanket. Beside her, Emma shifted too. By how warm her right side became, Regina knew she had moved closer, nearly touching shoulders. She forced herself to focus on the screen.

It didn't take her long to notice the Swan's strange reactions to the movie. Any time something scary happened, causing most of the people around them to jump, Granny and her kids would laugh instead of jumping. At one point, while the main character was arguing with the cop and an armless, gray-skinned creature suddenly appeared on screen, Regina nearly leapt out of her seat. Her hand flew to the couch cushion, as if she meant to raise it as a shield. Her heart leapt into her throat and she struggled to not gasp out loud. But Henry snorted in front of her, Ruby and Granny were chuckling, and Emma let out a quiet bark of laughter. Regina glared at her.

"What?" Emma whispered, catching her look.

"What is so funny?" Regina hissed back.

Emma shook with silent laughter. "I'll tell you later. Watch the movie."

Regina turned back just in time to see the creature spit some kind of acid on the cop and her body jerked again, pushing farther back into the couch. She almost jumped again when she felt a warm hand touch hers. Emma just smiled, cocking an eyebrow. Then her hand withdrew, but Regina could somehow sense that it was still close to hers. She kept her hand very still after that. She allowed herself to admit that she wanted the blonde to touch her hand again.

As the movie went on, Emma became quieter and Regina started having trouble focusing on the screen. Each time Emma's hand twitched or she adjusted the way a finger lay, Regina's stomach would tighten. Nearly halfway through the movie, Emma's hand moved, sliding just an inch closer to Regina's. Trying to make it seem completely innocent, Regina shifted her own hand closer to the sheriff. For two more scenes, neither of them moved. The tension in Regina's arms and legs was starting to burn, but she refused to budge. She didn't want to cross any lines. She wasn't even sure the sheriff was moving closer on purpose. But if she was, Regina fully intended to respond. She had just convinced herself that Emma wasn't going to move again when a callused finger grazed her pinky. The touch was so light she thought she might have imagined it. She took a quick breath and moved her pinky to the side, returning the ghost of a caress to Emma's hand. Her body ran hot when Emma's ring finger lifted, catching her pinky as it moved away. She glanced quickly at the sheriff, but Emma's eyes were locked on the screen. Gathering her courage, Regina gave a soft tug with her pinky. The very corner of Emma's mouth curled up and she released the captured pinky, her fingertips brushing across Regina's knuckles instead. The touch sent a shiver down the brunette's spine. She rolled her hand over, letting it lie limp between them. Emma responded with ghosting fingertips over her palm. Her nails slid up Regina's fingers, sending thrills through the brunette's arm. She trailed them back down to the still open palm, tracing the lines of Regina's hand. Where she touched a cold tingle was left, though the rest of Regina's body felt like it was slowly catching on fire. Then Emma's fingertips moved back up until they touched against Regina's own. For a brief moment, neither of them moved. Only then did Regina feel the slight shaking of the sheriff's hand. Her stomach coiled tighter and she forced herself to breathe normally. Emma's fingers shifted, dropping into the gaps between Regina's. When their palms touched, butterflies erupted in the brunette's stomach. She curled her fingers around Emma's, shivering as calluses brushed against the back of her hand and a warm thumb ran over her own. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's nostrils flare before the woman pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

The tension was still there, so Regina shifted until she was more comfortable. Her shoulder pressed against Emma's and neither of them did anything about it. It suddenly felt too warm under the blanket, but they remained covered, both staring adamantly at the T.V.

XXXXXXX

The movie was just about to end when the power went out. Someone screamed and David's voice said, "Tink! Really?"

"Sorry!" Tink squeaked back.

Emma slid from the couch, reluctantly releasing Regina's warm hand. She fumbled towards the kitchen, tripping over David's legs and accidentally smacking Kathryn in the chest.

"Ow! That's my boobs!"

"Sorry, Kat!"

"Emma! How dare you molest me in the dark!"

"You wish," Emma snorted. Belle was the first to pull out her cell phone and turn on its flashlight. She swung it towards the kitchen and Emma gratefully avoided the stool she had been on a collision course with. She yanked open a drawer, pulling out three flashlights and a pack of batteries that she laid on the counter. "Everybody okay?" A chorus of "yeah"s answered her. She wound her way back through the living room. She passed one flashlight to Mulan, one to David, and kept the other for herself. "You know the drill, folks. We checked the house earlier when everyone arrived, but now we check again. Will Scarlet may be in jail, but it doesn't mean somebody else isn't looking to loot during the power outage."

The group quickly split up. Emma took Henry and Ruby up to check the second floor, Wolf padding along. Regina and Kathryn went with David, checking all the windows and doors on the first floor. Belle and Tink went to check the garage with Mulan. The rest of the group stayed in the living room, phones lit. Cora started receiving calls very soon after that from citizens wanting to know when the power would be back on.

Emma led her son and sister through the upstairs, checking all the windows. They ended in Ruby's room with Henry nodding the affirmative after he pushed on the window. "All good, Sheriff" he said.

"You know," Ruby said. "You were awfully quiet during that movie, Em. Were you actually scared for once?"

Emma laughed it off, pointing the flashlight at the floor so they wouldn't see how red her face was. "Please. It just wasn't even scary enough to make me laugh."

"Speak for yourself then," Henry said. "That part with the nurses that didn't move? And she had to squeeze between them?" He chuckled.

"Did you see Regina jumping, Hen?" Ruby laughed. "I was not expecting that reaction. She seems so...together."

"Well, she did nearly get blown up recently. I'd be jumpy too."

"Wait, weren't you also nearly blown up?"

"Oh, yeah. Truth." Emma laughed. "Never mind."

Her son stepped over a pile of jeans near the window. "Speaking of. Do you have any idea who could have done it?"

Emma shook her head. "Nobody comes to mind. I mean, when I think 'arsonist', I picture bigger cities with more than four people working for the sheriff's department."

"Four?" Ruby frowned.

"Yeah, I hired Vinny Santorini to work nights."

"Vinny? Isn't that the Italian guy? Used to work as a demolitionist down at the mines?"

"Yep," Emma said, turning to head back downstairs.

Ruby hurried to catch up, Henry trailing behind. "You hired a guy who blew stuff up for a living right after almost getting blown up?"

"Yep," Emma said again, tossing her roommate a big grin.

XXXXXXX

Regina watched as Kathryn stood on the downstairs toilet to make sure the small window there was locked. David had gone to check the front porch, so she was holding her cell phone up so Kathryn could see. "Houses are creepy without power in them," Kathryn huffed. "I don't know how they did it in the old days."

"We could always ask my mother," Regina quipped, making Kathryn snort.

"She was too busy dodging dinosaurs to worry about a house."

Regina chuckled, offering her hand to help Kathryn hop back down to the tile floor. "Why are we doing this anyway? Is this town really that dangerous?"

Her friend shrugged. "Despite the two fires that have happened since you got here, this place is usually really quiet. We have our criminals, like Will Scarlet, but he's just a thief." Kathryn hopped up on the counter, crossing her legs daintily. She opened the little box beside the sink and sorted through the lipsticks inside, reading their names and pursing her lips.

"Kat," Regina whispered, moving closer. She paused, unsure if she really wanted to tell her friend about what had happened during the movie. She hadn't been that on edge about simply holding hands since she was a little girl. But the sheriff's callused palms had made her more anxious than the very first time she'd held another girl's hand. She had just opened her mouth to continue when a voice spoke behind her.

"Everything all right in here?"

Both women jumped, screaming. In the doorway, David chuckled, rubbing his ears. "David!" Kathryn growled, slapping at his arms. She'd fallen clean off the counter and was not happy. "That wasn't funny!" That just made him laugh harder. The three of them stepped back out into the living room. Mulan's team was already back and Emma was just coming down the stairs.

"All clear?" Emma asked and got nods all around. "Good." Everyone settled back into their places, chatting as the storm raged outside. It wasn't long before Cora and Henry Sr. took their leave.

"I've got a splitting headache now. I spent ten minutes on the phone with Leroy, assuring him that we have someone working on getting the power back up. And the whole time my phone was beeping because Mother Superior was repeatedly calling to tell me the power was out. As if I didn't know." She sighed heavily. "Goodnight all." She kissed Regina's cheek and led her husband up the stairs.

Half an hour later the power came back on. Henry happily scrambled to the T.V. to put the movie back on and they settled in to watch the ending. As the credits ran, everyone scattered to go to bed.

Henry wanted to stay downstairs with Wolf, so Ruby and Belle took his bed. Granny settled in to sleep on the armchair. David and Mary Margaret claimed one couch, Aurora dragged Mulan onto the other one, and Tink got the love seat to herself, while Henry curled up on the pile of pillows on the floor.

Emma and Regina wished them goodnight, following the Ruby and Belle upstairs. The two brunettes waved, disappearing into Henry's room, and Emma led the way to the bedroom.

Once the door was shut behind them, Regina felt all of the tension from earlier return. She pretended to be very busy folding down her side of the bed, keeping her eyes averted from the blonde that was standing awkwardly by the door. Then, "So, I was wondering what you were doing night after tomorrow."

Regina looked up, blinking. Emma shuffled from one foot to the other, her arms crossed over her chest. Regina smiled at her sudden shyness. "I assume the same thing I'm doing now, unless my house has been cleared."

"The team is supposed to come day after tomorrow, so you should be back home then." Emma rounded the bed to her own side, but didn't get in. "But I was thinking that maybe you'd want to go out with me after that was finished. That way you could have your own clothes available and all."

"Unless my house is rigged to explode," Regina said, smirking.

"Unless your house is rigged to explode," Emma agreed. "But if it isn't, would you? Uh, want to go out with me, that is. Not explode." Her face turned red and she dropped her head so her hair covered it. She opened the drawer beside the bed and pulled out her glasses, slipping them on. They would soon be going to sleep, but Regina assumed she just needed something to do.

Regina laughed. "I think I would like that, Sheriff."

Green eyes flicked back up to hers and that crooked grin Regina was coming to know appeared. "Great! I mean, that's good. Yeah. Good. But, uh," Emma cleared her throat. "I feel like we've done things a little out of order. I mean, normally it's date, then dance together, then hold hands, then end up sleeping in the same bed, but I'm not complaining." She chuckled, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "But I wanted to make sure you knew that I don't intend to...do...anything tonight or tomorrow night. Earlier, with the uh," she fumbled for words and finally just held up a hand, smirking. "That was...intense. I felt like a kid again, honestly. And though there is nothing I'd like more than to see where that leads, it won't be tonight. You deserve a date first. Then...then we'll see. If you want." Emma trailed off, biting her lip and rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

Warmth spread through Regina's chest and she didn't try to hide the grin that was taking over her face. "You really are quite the gentleman. Gentlewoman?"

"I'm just charming," Emma replied, smiling.

**Kailor: Thank you for reading, dearies! Please review! I love hearing your feedback! Hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Kailor: So I apologize now for the big ol' gap between this chapter and the last. I hit a huge chunk of writer's block on the road one day. Screwed me up, but I am back! And I am ready to write! Thanks for hanging on my dear ones!**

Regina woke to her phone buzzing, signalling she had a text. She rolled over, her hand brushing the empty side of the bed to find it cool. Emma had beaten her up again. She could hear faint voices from downstairs and muffled music, then the unmistakable sound of Emma singing. She sat up, running her fingers through her hair and yawning. After a few moments of blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes, she glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was just after dawn. With a groan, she picked up her phone. The text was from Kathryn. "_Morning, Reggie! Hope you're sleeping well while the rest of the world is up and heading into work!_"

Regina chuckled and typed a quick reply. "_I'm awake. Why are you going in so early?_"

"_Deliveries are here. I apparently must sign for them, as owner. Yay. I can barely contain my enthusiasm._"

Regina laughed. Her phone buzzed again.

"_Why are you up so early? Like you have a job or something? Did Emma wake you, like she did me and everyone else?_"

"_Yeah, she's singing downstairs. I swear, it'll never work between us. She's such a morning person. Ugh._"

"_Well, maybe you should have given her a reason to stay in bed._" This text was followed immediately by a picture of a gnome laid out on his side, one eyebrow cocked. "_Gnomesayin'?_"

Regina rolled out of bed, shaking her head at her friend. "_I will come to visit you once I'm fully awake. Now go to work._" She pulled on her new robe over her pajamas and left the bedroom. Emma was still singing downstairs, but she sounded farther away. Regina hadn't pegged her for a country fan, but Tim McGraw was floating up the stairs with Emma's velvet voice. Rustling sounds came from Henry's room as she passed. She followed the singing, pausing on the bottom step.

Ruby was at the stove, lazily flipping pancakes between yawns. The door to the garage was open and the tinkering of tools and "Red Rag Top" came from there. Wolf was stretched out on the floor, blinking up at her. David was still asleep on the couch. At some point during the night, Aurora had moved to the office couch. Mary Margaret, Granny, Mulan, and Tink were gone, along with Kathryn. She stepped off the stairs, nodding as Ruby caught her eye and waved the spatula.

"Mornin'," Ruby said around a yawn.

"Good morning," Regina said, settling at the island.

"Scrambled or you make 'em yourself. 'Cause that's all I have the ability to do this early."

Regina laughed. "Scrambled is fine, dear."

Ruby nodded and turned back to the stove. The singing stopped and Emma stepped out of the garage, wiping her hands with a greasy rag. "Hey," she said, smiling when she saw Regina. "You're up early."

"Someone was singing quite loudly." Regina shrugged, trying to keep her face stoic. "I guess small towns don't teach manners."

Emma's ears turned red, much to Regina's amusement. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was that loud." But she didn't sound remotely sorry and she hummed merrily as she moved about the kitchen, setting out plates and cups.

"And happy birthday," Regina added after a moment. Emma hummed louder, her eyes twinkling.

There was a stomping on the stairs and Henry appeared, wrapping his scarf around his neck. "Morning!" he called to the assembled women. He paused long enough to give each of them a quick hug, surprising Regina, but she hugged him back quickly. Henry glanced at Emma. "I'll be out early today because Mr. Jim is sick, so no P.E. You can pick me up at two."

"Where are you losers going?" Ruby grumped, slapping pancakes onto a plate.

Henry answered, pulling his shoes on. "We're going visit Dad right after school. Third Monday of every month, you know."

Regina noted Ruby's raised eyebrows, but before the younger woman could speak, Emma said, "Is Roland here?"

Henry opened the door and peeked out. "Yep. I'm off. Later!" And he was gone. Wolf suddenly sprang to his feet and slipped out the doggy door.

"Bye to you too," Emma huffed at the flapping bit of plastic.

Ruby turned to Emma, opening her mouth, but once again she was interrupted. The door suddenly flew back open, but it wasn't Henry. Tink stood in the doorway, hands on her hips and blonde hair wilder than normal. "Swan!" she growled.

A stool scrapped across the floor as Emma shoved it out of the way and dashed for the back door. She leapt the coffee table, Tink hot on her heels, and the two blondes disappeared into the back yard. Regina heard yelling and thumping and caught a glimpse of long curls flipping over the back fence.

In the silence left behind, she looked at Ruby.

The other brunette just sighed, adding another pancake to her plate. "Don't ask me if that's normal. I don't want to lie to you, but I also don't want to admit how insane my life is."

XXXXXXX

Emma shut the door to the Sheriff's office, clutching her ribs. Tink may not be as fit as she was, but she was a force to be reckoned with when she was pissed.

The sheriff waited until she could breathe normally before padding down the hall to her office.

"Happy birthday."

"Oh, god!" Emma flailed her arms, dancing in place to get rid of the chills she'd just gotten.

Mulan just continued to smile, leaning further back in her chair.

"Bell. Get bell for Mulan. First thing on the list today." Emma pressed a fist to her racing heart and thunked her forehead against the wall. "I hate you so much."

The deputy laughed. "Had a good morning?"

"No. I managed to piss off Tink enough that she came straight to my house this morning instead of work."

"What did you do?"

Now Emma grinned. "I may have taped a harmonica to the grill of her car. Makes wonderful music once you hit a certain speed." The two of them laughed. Emma settled behind her desk and Mulan rolled her chair so that she was seated in the doorway. They discussed the few calls that had come in during the black out and what they would have for lunch that day. It was a few hours later, while Emma was filling out paperwork, that there was a knock on her office door.

Mulan glanced up long enough to note the sandy-haired teenager standing there, then went back to her own work. Emma stood. "Hey, kid. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Chief," he said, smiling a little too wide. "I have a delivery for you from Marco. He said he finished it last night and to tell you happy birthday." He held out a cardboard box, apparently reluctant to actually step into the office.

Emma took the box, setting it on her desk to open it. "Oooh," she said, pulling out the heavy wooden clock. It was a carved wolf, twisted in on itself to makes a circle, with a swan in the center, wings spread above an elaborate crown. "Marco really outdid himself this year. Tell him thank you so much. Hell, I'll go tell him myself when I get a chance. This is amazing!" She turned to her wall of pictures, wondering where would be best to hang it.

The boy bounced awkwardly in the doorway, watching her decide. Then he said, "Well, I've got some more deliveries to run. But I'm glad you like it. I'll tell Marco if I see him again."

Emma blinked at him, ashamed that she had nearly forgotten he was there for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Thanks, kid."

"No problem. See you, Chief. Later, Deputy Fa!"

Mulan waved as the boy dashed back out of the station. Then she turned narrowed eyes on Emma. "You forgot to ask his name again."

Emma groaned, holding the clock to her chest like it could deflect her deputy's glare. "I know. I just got distracted by the clock and then he was leaving..."

"That kid has been coming here for a year now, staring at you and smiling like a lunatic each time. You need to learn his name before he proposes. At least then you can say, 'No, sorry, Whoever-you-are'."

The blonde grumbled under her breath, running her finger over the clock's smooth edges. "I'll ask him next time."

"You said that last time. And the time before. And-"

"Got it, deputy. Are you done with the report yet?"

Mulan smiled, patting the paper. "Just waiting for you to sign it."

Emma rounded her desk, carefully laying the clock down, and bent over Mulan's lap to scribble her signature in all the necessary places. Mulan was still smiling, which annoyed her, so she said, "How's Aurora? Kissed her yet?"

The deputy's face went red and her smile fell away. "W-what? Why would I-? What?"

Emma laughed.

XXXXXXX

Regina parked her car and climbed out, stiffling a yawn. The street was empty, most people at the diner for breakfast or at work or school. She glanced up at the sign that read, "Mr. Gold's Pawnshop" and strode under it, pushing the door open.

A bell tinkled above her head. The shop was quiet and dimly lit. The shelves and glass cases were filled with anything she could think of. She had expected a fine layer of dust because of the sheer amount of items surrounding her, but everything was clean. Her heels clicked across the hardwood to the front counter and she set her purse down on it, glancing around.

"Can I help you?"

She jumped at the voice, spinning to find the doorway to the backroom had been filled.

"Oh, Regina," the blonde said, smiling. "Wasn't expecting you until afternoon."

"Kathryn," Regina said, willing her heart to calm down. "You scared me."

Kathryn motioned for Regina to follow her into the back. The brunette rounded the counter, grabbing up her purse. The back was just as cluttered with junk, but not as well organized. Tink was there, sitting at a small table and wrapping a box in bright red wrapping paper. "Heya," she greeted Regina, adding another piece of tape to her parcel.

"Hello," Regina said, taking the seat Kathryn offered beside Tink. "Were you able to catch Miss Swan?"

Tink glowered at the far wall for a moment. "No. Stupid long legs she has. But it's fine. I'm getting her back now."

"What did she do?" Kathryn asked. Then she seemed to remember Regina was there and added, "Emma and Tink are in a prank war right now."

"She taped a harmonica to my grill. I thought it was a siren or something, like a weather warning thing. But every time I slowed down it got quieter, so I thought my car was about to blow up!"

Kathryn cackled, dropping into the chair across from Regina. "So how are you getting her back?"

Tink patted the box happily. "I put the harmonica in here. And I'll return it to her when she's least expecting it." A mischievious grin spread across the little blonde's face. Then she glanced at Regina. "You don't happen to know if she'll be home between two and four, do you?"

Regina thought about it for a moment. "I couldn't say."

Tink cursed, then stood, pulling out her phone. "I'll call Ruby. Be right back." She let herself out the back door.

Once it was shut, Kathryn said, "Will she be home then? I don't put it past Tink to try to prank Emma while she's home, you know."

Regina pursed her lips, nodding. "From what I've seen of her, I don't either. But no. Emma is taking Henry to visit his father at two."

Kathryn's smile disappeared, replaced by an inscrutable look. "Today?"

"Yes," Regina said, cocking her head to the side. "Why? Because it's Emma's birthday?"

Her friend shrugged one shoulder, biting her lip. "I guess, yeah. It's weird they'd go see him on her birthday."

"Why?"

But before Kathryn could tell her why, Tink returned, hopping back to her seat. "She'll be out! Oh, ho. This is gonna be good."

XXXXXXX

Tink left around one, giggling madly and grabbing a roll of duct tape on her way out. Kathryn and Regina hopped into Kathryn's little car and headed to the diner for lunch. When they paused in the doorway to remove their coats, Ruby rounded the counter, smiling. "Hey! You're just in time to catch the last bit of cheesecake, Kat. The other one won't be out for another twenty minutes."

"Gimme!" Kathryn cried, hurrying to her favorite seat at the bar. Regina trailed her, chuckling.

"You using that?" Kathryn asked the man sitting next to her. Her fingers tapped the menu on the counter in front of him. The brown-haired man shook his head, smiling politely. Kathryn pressed her finger against the menu, dragging it across the counter to Regina. "There you go, Reggie."

"Quit calling me that."

"Never."

Ruby returned from the kitchen, carrying a large brown-paper bag and a plate of cheesecake. "Here you go, Jim. Hope that makes you feel better." She placed the bag in front of the man they'd gotten the menu from, then slid the cheesecake to Kathryn. "Kat."

"Thanks, Ruby." Jim dropped a five on the counter and tucked the bag under his arm. He nodded to Kathryn and Regina before sweeping out of the diner, pausing only to sneeze into his sleeve.

Kathryn's eyes tailed him out, her lips pursed in appreciation.

"Quit staring," Ruby laughed. "The man's sick. Let him get healthy before you go after him."

"I can give him a few home remedies-"

"Anyways," Regina cut her off. "I'll take the almond salad."

Ruby nodded, scribbling it on her paper. "Kat? The usual?"

Kathryn grunted an affirmative and Ruby bounced off to take other orders.

When their food arrived, Regina ate quietly, letting Kathryn speak. The blonde pointed out each person in the diner, naming them and giving a little backstory on them. The brunette was content to just sit and listen until Kathryn suddenly sat up straighter halfway through an introduction on the short guy in the corner who apparently ran the pharmacy. "Oh, Emma!"

Regina spun, glancing at the door of the diner. It was closed, but she saw a flash of yellow passing on the road.

Kathryn checked her watch. "Yes, it's nearly two. Come on." She stood, throwing money on the counter to pay for their food and hurried to the door.

Regina quickly joined her, afraid her friend would leave her behind in her rush. They raced across the street to Kathryn's car and the blonde had it started before Regina could even fumble for her seatbelt. "What are we doing?" Regina snapped, thinking wistfully of the last few bites of her salad.

"Well," Kathryn said, pulling out of her parking spot. "I'm going to show you something."

"Why?"

Kathryn didn't answer right away. She turned down another road, cut through a parking lot, and wound her way onto a dirt road. "Okay, Reggie. You're my best friend. And I can see that you like Emma and that Emma likes you, but I don't want you to go into this blind."

A tight knot formed in Regina's stomach. She had known there was a catch. The woman was too perfect. But now that someone was finally going to tell her what the other side of the coin looked like, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Is it bad?" she asked, frowning when her voice came out lower than she'd intended.

Kathryn's face scrunched up, her lips pursing. "Not really. I mean, you know she was in jail for a while, but apparently you aren't too worried about it." She steered her car off the road and parked it between two low-hanging trees. The green car blended fairly well, no longer visible from the road.

"I assumed it was just a youthful mistake, since she's sheriff now."

"Right. And you know she was an orphan."

Regina nodded, not sure where Kathryn was going with this.

"And she's a mother."

"Obviously," Regina snapped. The indirect mention of Henry got her hackles up.

"Well, there's something you should know. Not so much about Emma, but about Henry's father."

Regina felt like she was going to be sick. "What about him?"

Kathryn turned off the car. "Come with me."

She wanted to say no. She wanted to hear the whole story now, not later. But she climbed from the car, watching as Kathryn moved back to the road, making sure her car was hidden. Then the blonde ducked into the trees on the other side of the road and was gone in a rustling of leaves. Regina followed, wishing she'd worn something other than heels. She sank into the mud a few times and she silently cursed her friend.

Kathryn suddenly stopped, holding up a hand. Regina heard the crunch of tires on the road, passing them up and fading. "Must be Emma and Henry. Come on." And the blonde took off again, leaving Regina to puff after her.

"Kat! Is this necessary? Where are we going? Does Henry's father live out here? Why?"

"Show now. Tell later. Move yourself, woman."

They fought their way through the trees for a few more minutes, swatting branches and thick undergrowth out of the way. Finally, Kathryn broke through the treeline, holding out an arm to stop Regina as the brunette tumbled out beside her.

Regina dusted off her skirt, angrily adjusting her jacket. She turned to growl at her friend. But she stopped when she saw where she was.

Tombstones lined the open field, stretching away from them towards the trees on the other side. There were a few larger crypts, some etched with multiple names. The few sparse trees that dotted the graveyard hung eerily over the graves nearest them. It only took another moment for Regina to realize why they were there. "No," she whispered, one hand pressing against her chest, as if it could stop her heart from breaking.

Kathryn quietly moved to one of the larger crypts, leading Regina around the other side. She lifted one finger to her lips and Regina nodded.

They peeked around the corner, leaning just far enough to see.

The yellow bug was parked near the entrance to the graveyard, empty. And not too far from their hiding place, under a particularly bent tree, was Henry and Emma.

Henry was sitting, cross-legged, on the ground and talking quickly. Regina could barely hear him and it was hard to make out the words. But he was facing the tombstone under the tree, talking apparently to its owner. Emma was a few graves away, not speaking. Instead, she stood with her thumbs hooked in the back pockets of her jeans, her head bent and an absent expression on her face. Occasionally, she would blink and glance over at Henry, perhaps making sure he was still there, then she would return to staring at the grave before her.

Regina felt like she was intruding on something she should never have seen, but she couldn't look away. The haunted look in Emma's eyes, the overly-enthusiastic motions of Henry's hands, the two graves so similar and small.

She was just about to grab Kathryn and leave when Henry got up and joined Emma. Closer now, his words were clear. "Mom? Have you talked to him?"

Emma shook her head, the haze in her eyes clearing. "What?"

"Have you talked to him? I'm done talking to Dad. Did you want to talk to him? Or just..." He nodded to the grave they stood in front of.

The blonde rocked back on her heels, pulling her arms around in front of her and crossing them tightly over her chest. "Oh. No, I'm good. Are you ready to go?"

Henry's slightly hopeful look faded and he nodded again. Emma dropped her arms, turning away to move back to the car. Henry waited a moment, glancing back once at the two graves. Then he jogged after his mother, reaching out to snag one of her hands. The two of them picked their way through the plots until they reached the bug.

As their engine faded into the distance, Regina looked at Kathryn. "You should have warned me."

Kathryn shrugged, a pained look on her face. "It was too hard to just get into. It's not really my story to tell, you know? But I figured you needed to know at least this much. Anything else, Emma will have to tell you."

"So Henry's father..."

"Yeah," Kathryn said, stepping out from their hiding spot. She crossed to the first grave, under the tree. "He died in a car accident when Henry was six."

Regina stared at the engraved name, her stomach so tight it felt like she would never get it to loosen. "_Beloved son and father-Neal Cassidy_," it read, followed by the years he'd lived.

"Poor Henry," Regina sighed. Poor Emma, she thought.

Kathryn moved to the other grave, carefully stepping over the one beside Neal's. Regina glanced at it, catching only the name Milah before joining Kathryn.

The second grave read, "_Graham Humbert-Sheriff and Brother_".

The stinging behind her eyes surprised her. Regina had never met either man, but her heart broke for the smart boy that had talked so animatedly to silent stone. And it broke for the woman who stared through the graves to a time when they hadn't existed. She had known there would be a catch to how perfect Emma was. But she hadn't expected this.

She tried to stop it, but the tears came too quickly and suddenly Kathryn was holding her and she was sobbing and Kathryn was crying and the graveyard was silent around them.

**Kailor: AHHHHHH! GOT IT OUT! Okay, again I am sorry for being so late in getting this up! I am hoping the next chapter takes far less time and I hope you all enjoyed this one! P.S. I said before that "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy is Regina's song on the show. Well, now I've got Emma's: "Superman" by Five For Fighting (but I find the Boyce Avenue version works a lot better). Just throwing that out there! Enjoy! Reviews appreciated!**

**P.P.S. Had a bit of a screw up with who was where at the beginning. Has been corrected. My apologies.**


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